


Griever's Ring: The Prophecy

by Myrak969103



Category: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VIII, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Attempted Murder, Awkward Sexual Situations, Character Death, Crossover, Drama, Epic, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, F/M, Fanfiction, Grief/Mourning, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Major Character Injury, Resolved Sexual Tension, Retribution, Revenge, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Sorceress/Knight bond, Sorceresses, Time Travel, Tragedy, Violence, War, sorcery, time compression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-01-23 04:34:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 65,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12498868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myrak969103/pseuds/Myrak969103
Summary: Hermione is taken to Gaia, a world ravaged by war and turmoil, by Griever. During her travels, she learns the nature of his ring and what happened to him. The prophecy becomes clear, and horrified by the implications, Hermione sets about breaking it and setting Griever free from of a future of torment.Pairing: Squall Leonhart/Hermione GrangerWarnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Torture, Major Character Death, Scenes of a Sexual Nature - rated Explicit for a reason, trust me.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

**_ Prologue _ **

_Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec_

_Wake up from your sleep, my children_  
Your childhood years are gone  
Wake from your sleep, Fated Children  
Your slumber is over

_Arise  
Discover_

_Come to the Garden of Truth  
The Spring of the Garden of Truth_

_With the Fiery Truth_  
Burn away the Evils of the World  
With the Fiery Truth  
Light the Darkness of the World

_Be strong, Children  
These fateful days_

_Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec_

oOoOo

The halls of Hogwarts were silent; one could almost hear a pin drop. Harry, Ron, and Hermione crept along the corridors, trying to avoid being seen or heard as it was past curfew. ‘I know it was here,' Ron muttered, leading them down a corridor to a dead end. Only a solid wall stared back at them. ‘It was here,' Ron said in bewilderment, touching the cold stone.

‘Well, it's not here now,' Harry answered, wondering if Ron imagined the whole thing.

‘Doorways don’t just disappear,’ Ron answered, pushing at the stones to see if there was a hidden switch.

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Ron, are you sure you weren't dreaming?'

Ron shook his head. ‘No, I didn’t imagine it! It was here earlier!’ he barked, sounding harsher than he intended.

Hermione frowned at his attitude but shook any comebacks from her mind. She wasn't about to get into an argument with him. Instead, Hermione pulled her wand out. ‘I'll try a revealing charm,' she said, pointing her wand at the wall. She spoke the incantation, and the hallway lit up with a blue light.

Nothing happened.

‘Well, if there were anything here, the Revealing Charm would have showed us where it is,' Hermione told them, putting her wand away.

Ron shook his head. ‘Maybe the magic used to conceal it is more powerful than your spell,’ he said to her, receiving a shrug in response.

‘Maybe it’s a timed doorway?’ Harry said thoughtfully, touching his hand to the stone.

‘Timed?’ Ron asked him.

‘It only appears once a day at a certain time or something,' Harry mused, but he was not entirely convinced of this himself. Why would there be a timed doorway? If it was so secret, why allow it to be discoverable at all?

‘Maybe,’ Ron muttered, lowering his eyes to the floor. He felt embarrassed because he dragged them all the way up here for nothing.

‘Well, look what we have here,' came an unwelcome voice from the end of the hallway. The trio turned to see Draco Malfoy leaning against the wall, twirling his wand casually.

‘What do you want, ferret?’ Ron growled, gripping his wand tightly.

Hermione closed her eyes and bit her tongue. She wondered why Ron rose to everything Malfoy said. He got pissed off if the Slytherin so much as breathed in his direction. She placed a hand on Ron's shoulder and gave him a look which made him back down.

Malfoy laughed. ‘You have him well trained, Granger,’ he said, giving her a smirk.

Hermione’s grip on Ron’s shoulder tightened when she felt him tense in anger. ‘Go away, Malfoy. No one wants you here,’ Hermione stated, glaring at the blonde.

Malfoy glared at her. ‘No one wants you at all, Mudblood,' he snarled at her. Hermione glared at him, her cheeks flushing red in anger and Malfoy knew he'd hit a sore spot.

A loud scraping noise caused them to look at the blank wall. The stones were shifting, revealing an archway. Forgetting who was in the hallway, the trio looked into the tunnel cautiously.

Malfoy's eyes widened fearfully at the archway. Not caring about who he was in the company of, Malfoy followed the trio into the hallway curiously.

Murals decorated the walls showing creatures they had never seen before. Hermione studied them and looked at the writing beneath them. The words were in a language she couldn't understand. ‘What are these?' She muttered in awe.

‘No idea,' Harry answered, looking around. He noticed Malfoy had followed them in, but he opted not to say anything while he was just curious. Harry couldn't blame him; the murals were fascinating. He stopped at one depicting a large green and gold bird with its wings stretched out. Electricity surrounded it, and a thunderstorm raged in the clouds behind it. The title of the mural was “Quezacotl”, but he couldn’t read what it said about it.

Malfoy stopped at one which looked like a cactus, but it had arms, legs, and a face. A smile tugged at his lips when he noticed the curly moustache given to the plant, and he imagined the artist must have had a brilliant sense of humour. He moved to the mural next to it and shuddered at the depiction before him. The head was an oval shape, with what appeared to be closed angel wings. The body holding it up was long and resembled a woman.

‘Who disturbs this ancient place!' came a deep, resounding voice.

The trio and Malfoy jumped at the noise, turning to see a door at the end of the hallway. It glowed brightly, and they shielded their eyes from being blinded. Hermione felt the sudden urge to run and never step foot in this place again. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she edged towards the door. Hermione glanced to her side to see Malfoy walking next to her, and she frowned. She forgot he was with them.

They entered the room cautiously, and the door slammed shut behind them. Harry, Ron, and Malfoy ran to the door and pulled at the handles, but it was sealed shut. Hermione tried the unlocking charm, but this didn't work. In a panic, the trio and Malfoy moved about the room looking for another way out.

Hermione stopped and took in the room while the guys looked for another exit. The room was a circular chamber with a high ceiling. Along the walls were more murals of the same creatures they saw in the hallway, but they were drawn differently and showed them using unbelievable power. It shook her to the core, and she felt a shiver run down her spine. Her eyes moved to the ceiling where another mural depicted a castle floating on an island held in place by massive chains.

‘Why are you here?' came the voice again.

The group looked around to where it seemed to be coming from, but there was no one there. What they did notice was a golden pedestal, and on top was a green cushion. Slowly, they made their way over towards it, not wanting to anger whatever lived in this chamber.

‘Stop!' the voice shouted, and they froze in place. A force gripped them, and they found themselves falling to their knees.

Hermione cried out, collapsing to the ground. ‘What is this magic!' she yelled, and then it lifted. Hermione didn't move from the floor for fear of the same force appearing.

‘What happened?’ Harry asked, looking around the room for any signs of life, but the torches didn’t do much to light up the room.

They gasped when the torches died, and complete darkness enshrouded them. ‘Guys?' Hermione called out, but she received no response from them. ‘What's going on?' Hermione whispered, her voice shaking.

‘They were not worthy, so I expelled them from this sacred chamber,' came the deep voice.

‘Expelled?’ Hermione asked fearfully.

The torches flared to life, and in the flickering light, Hermione could now see a towering monster. It looked like a giant red lion with great white wings spanning the chamber. Hermione screamed, moving towards the only exit in the room. She pounded on the door, but it was no use. A force took hold of her, and Hermione floated towards the creature, becoming level with its face. Hermione stopped struggling upon noticing the creature's eyes held such sorrow. His eyes were beautiful, like two sapphires, but what shocked her was how human they appeared.

‘What do you want?’ she asked the creature.

‘I am Griever. For years I slumbered in my Ring waiting for your arrival,’ he told her.

‘Why me?' She asked, hoping the creature hadn't harmed Harry or Ron. Hell, she even hoped Malfoy was okay.

‘You hold the key to the future, and breaking my curse,' he answered, and his eyes softened. ‘You will learn all in time,' he whispered, and Hermione frowned. He sounded so defeated like a terrible burden lay on his shoulders.

‘Key?’ She asked, not knowing what else to say to the creature. Without more information, she would struggle to help him.

‘It is not yet time. Sleep now,' the creature answered, and Hermione felt herself drifting off into a peaceful slumber. Griever sighed, taking in her peaceful form, ‘Forgive me, my love,’ he whispered, and a single tear escaped from his eye.


	2. Chapter One: A Trip to Balamb Garden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

_**Chapter One: A Trip to Balamb Garden** _

Hermione frowned when a streak of sunlight fell across her face. Irritated, she turned away from it and opened her eyes. For a moment, the blue wall confused her, and she wondered where her scarlet curtains were. Then her memories of the night before returned like a harsh slap. She sat up and looked around.

The room was plain, but cosy with a bed, and some furniture. The rest of the walls were white, and some pictures hung showing a portly woman and a young man about her age. She looked at herself, realising someone dressed her in a night dress. Her clothes were across the room, on a round table.

Hermione got up and pulled her clothes on. She froze… Where's my wand? She thought and searched for it around the room. Hermione finally spotted it lying on the floor next to the table. It must have fallen off when she moved her clothes. She picked it up, almost hugging it in relief and slipped it into her pocket.

Hermione took a moment to wonder where she was. She remembered finding the chamber with the guys, and then she was on her own. She recalled the sorrowful blue eyes and his words… Griever said he "expelled" them. Did he…? Hermione trailed off in her thoughts, not wanting to think about what he may have meant by those words. She just prayed they were safe.

It was like he'd given her a mission. ‘Key?' Hermione muttered to herself with a frown. Shaking her head, Hermione resigned herself to whatever lay beyond this room. She needed to get back to Hogwarts as soon as possible. Maybe Griever transported her away from Hogwarts in error. As this idea came across her, Hermione felt like she was trying to convince herself that was the case. 

Her luck wasn't good these days.

Hermione wished she could speak to Griever again, even just to make sure Harry and Ron were okay. She would feel nervous and upset about their safety until he confirmed they were still alive. Hermione missed them already and wished they were here with her.

Shaking off her thoughts, Hermione crept to the door and pulled it open, hearing voices downstairs. Hermione felt awful eavesdropping, but she was curious about what happened to her and where she was. She figured asking would be more polite, but listened to the chatter anyway.

‘So, I heard you have a mysterious guest?' Came a woman's voice.

Hermione heard the tap running and the sounds of someone washing dishes. ‘Yes, well news certainly travels fast in a small village,' another woman answered. She sounded older than the other woman.

‘Well?' Came the younger woman after a short pause.

‘I'm not sure what to tell you, Gina. Zell found her unconscious by the docks and brought her back here,' answered the older woman with a sigh. ‘She is about the same age as him, but he said he didn't recognise her from school. Very pretty,' she said thoughtfully. Hermione blushed at the comment but shook it off. So, she was found by the docks by a man called Zell.

‘How long has she been out?' Gina asked, and Hermione pulled herself from her thoughts, focusing on the conversation.

‘Three days, poor girl. Something serious must have happened to her. I'm curious to find out, but she won't wake up. I've tried everything, but not a peep,' said the older woman, and Hermione could picture a middle-aged woman shaking her head.

‘Well, at least she's alive,' Gina replied.

‘Yes, she's alive. Zell said she might be a transfer student from one of the other Gardens. Once she's awake and strong enough to travel, I'll direct her to the Garden,' the older woman answered.

Transfer student? Garden? Hermione wondered, and raked her mind on any information she may have heard about "students from Garden", but nothing jumped out at her. Hermione didn't think she'd ever heard of such a thing. Maybe she misheard.

‘In any case, I need to give her some more soup. It's the only thing I can get her to take while she's unconscious,' the older woman said after a few moments. Hermione heard a cupboard door opening and the sound of a plate being put on the counter.

‘Of course, Mrs Dincht. I didn't mean to keep you so long. I only wanted to see if you would watch Liam for me while I go shopping,' Gina said, and Hermione thought it sounded almost like a desperate plea.

Mrs Dincht laughed. ‘Still as rowdy as ever?'

‘You have no idea,' Gina answered exasperatedly.

‘I don't mind, Gina,' Mrs Dincht replied.

‘Thank you so much!' Gina exclaimed, and Hermione heard a door open. ‘Do you need anything?' she called back.

‘No, dear, I'm fine,' Mrs Dincht answered, and Hermione heard the door shut.

Hermione moved back into the room, closing the door gently. She looked back at the picture she glanced at earlier and noticed the young man had spiky blonde hair and a tattoo on the left side of his face. The woman next to him was portly, but had a kind face and wore a blue apron. She reminded Hermione of Mrs Weasley, and she smiled. Her smile dropped though when she thought of Ron. Hermione wondered if they knew what happened to her.

Hermione turned when the door opened. ‘Oh! You're awake, at last!' Mrs Dincht said, placing a tray down on the table. She moved over to Hermione, checking her temperature, her pulse, and looked for any wounds. ‘Well, you seem to be fine,' she said with a smile.

Hermione couldn't help smiling back. The woman seemed lovely, and she appreciated she had taken her in without question. ‘My name is Hermione. Thank you for everything you've done for me,' Hermione answered, inclining her head to Mrs Dincht. A frown flitted onto her face. ‘But, I must wonder where I am and how I got here,' Hermione questioned, looking at the older woman.

Mrs Dincht led her to a seat at the round table and sat in the seat opposite. ‘I don't know where you came from. I was hoping you may have the answer. My Son, Zell, thought you might be a transfer student from one of the other Gardens,' she answered, pouring Hermione a cup of tea, and placing the soup in front of her.

‘Thank you,' Hermione said, picking up her tea, and taking a sip. She shook her head and looked at Mrs Dincht. ‘I have no idea what Garden is or where I am. I ran into…' she trailed off, thinking it might be best to omit Griever, ‘...some trouble,' she finished. Hermione wasn't lying; when she came face to face with Griever, Hermione believed she was in trouble. She shivered at the memory.

‘It might be nice for you to visit them. I'm sure Zell will be happy to show you around,' Mrs Dincht suggested.

Hermione nodded. ‘That sounds nice. What is Garden, though?' She asked her, visualising students learning to become gardeners in a massive greenhouse with tons of flowers. Hermione took a sip of her soup; it was beautiful, but she couldn't place what type of soup it was.

‘Have you never heard of it? I didn't think there were people in the world who didn't know about them. They are a huge part of the world,' Mrs Dincht answered, and Hermione frowned. She had a feeling that whatever information Mrs Dincht was going to give her was not information she was going to like. ‘There are three Gardens in the world. Balamb Garden is our local one, about 10 miles up the road. It's a school for mercenaries,' she answered, taking a sip of her tea.

‘A mercenary school?' Hermione asked, her images of a vast greenhouse fading from her mind.

‘Yes, they accept students aged 5-15 and graduate when they turn eighteen,' Mrs Dincht answered with a smile. ‘Zell attends school there, and he is doing his final exam today,' she added proudly and turned in her chair to point at the picture Hermione looked at earlier. ‘That's him. Takes after his Grandfather,' she said, turning back to look at Hermione.

‘He's handsome,' Hermione said, looking at the smiling blonde in the picture.

‘Yes, he is,' Mrs Dincht replied.

Hermione relaxed, feeling comfortable around this woman, and finished her soup. ‘That was lovely soup,' she said, placing the bowl back on the tray.

‘I try,' Mrs Dincht chuckled, standing, and picking up the tray. Hermione opened the door for her, and the older woman turned back to her. ‘Make yourself comfortable, and feel free to come and go as you please,' Mrs Dincht told her before making her way downstairs.

‘Thank you,' Hermione called after her. 

She stood in the doorway for a moment, noticing another door right across from her. Curious, she stepped towards it causing a creak in the floorboard. ‘That's Zell's room up there. He gets angry if anyone goes in, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't,' came Mrs Dincht's voice from downstairs, and Hermione blushed.

Hermione made her way downstairs and looked around the kitchen and dining rooms. The home was immaculate, not a speck of dust anywhere. In the living room, the young boy, Liam, was playing computer games on a strange TV. At least nothing seemed alien to her, although some things were a bit outlandish from what she was used to.

‘Ergh, I'm so bored... I wish Zell would come over...' came Liam's voice.

‘He should be home for a visit later,' Mrs Dincht told him, putting some juice down on the table for him.

‘Oh, yeah! I hope he does! I need to show him my new moves!' Liam answered, standing, and getting into a fighting stance.

Mrs Dincht raised her eyebrows at him. ‘Yes, well that will be taken outside. I would rather my house stayed intact,' she answered, placing a hand on her hip.

‘Yes, ma'am,' Liam answered, his shoulders slumping. Hermione smiled, and she had the feeling many things had broken because of Zell and Liam.

Hermione wandered over to some magazines piled onto a bookcase and read the title. ‘"Timber Maniacs"?' She muttered, picking it up. Hermione read the first page and realised it was articles relating to the world. Her pulse quickened upon realising she had never heard of any of the places listed. She closed it and put it back on the pile.

Mrs Dincht turned to her after finishing washing the dishes and went to her side when she took in Hermione's pale face. ‘Are you all right, Hermione,' she asked, leading her to a chair.

‘I have to know… where am I?' Hermione asked her.

‘You're in Balamb,' Mrs Dincht answered, reaching a hand up to touch Hermione's clammy forehead.

‘It's just, I don't recognise the name,' Hermione answered, and Mrs Dincht frowned. ‘Do you have a map of the world?' Hermione asked her, needing to know if Scotland was on the map so she could figure out how to get back to Hogwarts.

‘I don't, I'm afraid. There is a shop next to the train station which may have one, or our next-door neighbour, Jim, may have one,' she answered with a frown.

‘Thank you,' Hermione said, standing to leave the house and find a map. ‘Is there a way for me to get to the Garden??' Hermione asked as an afterthought. Although she was desperate to get back to Hogwarts, she was curious about the military school and wanted to see it.

‘Yes, I'm sure someone will take you. Down the road is a car rental shop. I'm sure someone there can get you a taxi,' Mrs Dincht answered with a smile, but Hermione could see the frown was still present.

‘It's okay, I can walk… I don't have any money for a taxi,' she answered, looking at her feet. ‘I'm sorry, I must seem so abrupt. I just want to find my bearings and get home,' Hermione told her, receiving an understanding nod in return. ‘I do appreciate everything you have done for me, and I'll never forget your kindness,' she said, and she couldn't help hugging the older woman.

‘Well, you're always welcome here. Please come back anytime,' Mrs Dincht replied, taking her hands. ‘If you get stuck, you come on back here, okay?' she said sternly, and Hermione nodded with a smile.

‘I promise, I will,' she answered, feeling glad to have somewhere to stay if she needed it. She was indeed in debt to Mrs Dincht and didn't how she could repay her hospitality.

‘Before you go…' Mrs Dincht said and shuffled over to the kitchen. She pulled food and juice out a cupboard, and made some sandwiches, placing them in a shoulder bag. She then grabbed her purse and pulled out some coins, handing them to Hermione. ‘Take that with you. Should be enough for a taxi,' she said, placing the bag over Hermione's head.

‘I can't accept this,' Hermione said, and she hoped she hadn't made Mrs Dincht feel like she had to go out of her way to do this for her.

‘Nonsense!' Mrs Dincht answered, waving away her comment. ‘You take care of yourself, Hermione,' she said and opened the front door for her. 

‘Thank you, for everything,' Hermione replied, giving the woman another hug. 

Hermione watched the door close, before turning to take in her surroundings. Mrs Dincht's house was the last one at the end of a long street. Hermione could see the entrance to the little town at the end, and a sign for the car rental shop Mrs Dincht told her about. In front of her was a weapons shop with a bench outside, and Hermione frowned at the store, wondering if it was legal to sell weapons so openly.

Shaking her head, Hermione spotted a man sitting on the bench and moved towards him to find out some more information about the town and surrounding area. Hermione was about to reach him when a young woman walked along carrying heavy shopping bags. The man got up to help her. ‘Here, Gina, let me carry those,' he said, taking the bags from her, and Hermione realised this was the young woman speaking to Mrs Dincht before she came upstairs. ‘Heading to Mrs Dincht's to collect the rascal, huh?' he asked cheerfully, and she nodded.

‘Thanks, Nathan. Yeah, I've left him there. I can't take him anywhere anymore. He just destroys the place,' Gina answered, shaking her head.

‘Sound like someone you know?' Nathan asked with a chuckle, receiving a glare from Gina.

‘Zell has been such a bad influence on Liam! But, Mrs Dincht is so good to us that I don't want to say anything,' Gina said, shifting the heavy bag in her hand to her other one.

‘You know Zell doesn't mean any harm,' Nathan answered with a smile, placing the bags on the ground next to Mrs Dincht's front door.

‘Yes, I know,' Gina replied, opening the door and letting herself in. ‘Thanks for your help, Nathan!' She called back to him and closed the door.

Hermione watched Nathan sigh as he made his way back to the bench. He took a seat and glanced at her curiously upon realising she was watching him. Hermione walked over to him. ‘Excuse me, I'm a bit lost and don't know my way around. I woke up here this morning, and I don't know where I am or how I got here. Can you help? I just want some information,' Hermione said politely, hoping she didn't bombard him with questions.

Nathan frowned in confusion before snapping his fingers. ‘You must be the girl who appeared here three days ago!' He said like he'd figured out the meaning of life.

‘Yes, that's me,' Hermione answered, wondering if everyone knew she was the mysterious girl who appeared out of nowhere.

‘Ah, well it must be confusing for you. I'll tell you all I know and point you in some directions,' Nathan told her.

‘Thank you, I appreciate it,' Hermione answered, and she was thankful that everyone in this town seemed friendly and approachable.

Nathan waved off her thanks. ‘So, this is a little town called Balamb. It's a fishing village, but we get a lot of tourists because of the Garden further up the road. It's the only attraction we have on this island,' he answered with a shrug. ‘In town, we have a hotel, a train station, the docks, and a couple of shops. There's a car rental shop down the road by the entrance,' Nathan said, pointing in several directions to indicate the buildings he was referring to. 

‘Thanks,' Hermione answered, looking around. ‘It's a beautiful village. I'll take a walk around and head up to see the Garden,' she told him, and he nodded, waving at her as she walked towards the hotel.

Hermione stopped next to the hotel, looking up at the tall building in awe. It was built up of grey and blue stone, and was circular, making it look almost like a tower. It was the largest building in the town, except maybe the train station. Hermione made a mental reminder that it was there in case she got stuck and couldn't go to Mrs Dincht.

Hermione followed the path down towards the docks and took a seat on a bench. She looked out at the vast ocean, letting her mind drift back to the questions plaguing her mind. Hermione desperately wanted to find a map of the world so she could see where she was. She had a feeling she wasn't even on earth anymore, and the thought terrified her. Hermione had never heard of Balamb, and these people and their lives just seemed so different from what she was used to.

Hermione shook her head, tuning into the sounds of birds flying above her. One of them landed close to the bench, and she realised it was a seagull. So, not everything was different, and this made her feel a little better. Hermione watched a girl walk past, struggling to hold the lead while her dog dragged her on. Hermione smiled, it was just like any other little town in the middle of nowhere at least.

Hermione looked around, noticing a couple of women on the bench to the left of her. She hated eavesdropping, but she heard them mention Zell, and she was curious about the man who found her. 

‘Hey, have you heard? Mrs Dincht’s Son is going to take the SeeD exam,’ the woman standing next to the bench stated.

‘Really...? I wonder if that rowdy boy can handle it? Does Mrs Dincht know about this?’ the other asked in surprise as she sat down on the bench.

‘The chances Zell will pass the exam is probably around fifty percent. At least that’s what my Son said,’ she answered. This woman seemed a little too smug for Hermione’s liking.

‘The exam doesn’t just test physical abilities, right?’ she asked, looking up at her friend who was still standing.

‘Right. It also emphasises teamwork. On top of that, composure, focus, proper decision making and much more.’

‘Oh, my... I doubt he can handle it.’

‘I don’t think Mrs Dincht will say anything to him, even if she knew. I guess all we can do is wish him luck,’ she said, taking a seat next to her friend on the bench.

Hermione listened for a moment longer, but when they moved on to other topics of gossip about other townsfolk, she tuned out. She was curious about Zell and the Garden. If nothing else, Hermione wanted to thank him for taking her to his Mother, and she wanted to see this Garden.

Hermione stood from the bench and made her way towards the rental shop. On the way, a senior man stepped out of the house next to Mrs Dincht's, and she remembered the older woman telling her that her neighbour might have an atlas. Hermione made her way over to him. ‘Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you, but Mrs Dincht said you might be able to help me,' she said, smiling at the elderly man.

‘Did she now? What can I help you with, young lady?' the old man asked.

‘She said you might have a world atlas I could look at? This is my first time to Balamb, and I'm a little lost,' Hermione answered, hoping he could help her. ‘I'm visiting, but I want to see if there are any other notable places I'd like to go,' she added, making herself sound like a tourist.

‘Ah, of course, please come in!' said the old man enthusiastically, and ushered her into his little home. It was much the same as Mrs Dincht's house. Small, but quaint. ‘Would you like a cup of tea?' he asked her, and Hermione was, once again, shocked at how friendly, and helpful everyone in this town was.

‘No, thank you,' she answered, smiling at him. ‘I was on my way to get a taxi to visit the Garden. I've never seen it before,' Hermione told him, and he nodded.

‘Yes, you can't come to Balamb and not visit the Garden. Its doors are open to everyone, and it's a big tourist attraction. Of course, you can't enter the main building, but the grounds are beautiful,' he told her, leading her over to a map on the wall. ‘Here is the Atlas of Gaia,' he said, and pointed to Balamb Island. ‘This is where we are. Take as long as you need,' he said and left her to stare at the map.

Hermione's stomach flipped, and her heart lodged in her throat as she stared at the map. She was right. Hermione was not in her world anymore, and the thought terrified her more than she thought was conceivable. The old man mentioned that the world was called "Gaia", but with all the magic in her world, she had never heard of it.

Hermione swallowed a lump in her throat, wishing again that Harry and Ron were there so she wouldn't be going through this alone. Tears filled her eyes, and she wondered if she would ever get home.

 _I am sorry_ , a voice whispered in her head, and Hermione recognised it as Griever. She looked around, but she couldn't see him. _I am the reason you have come to my world. I transported you here because I need your help_ , he said, and Hermione could almost see those sad eyes looking at her pleadingly.

 _How? What can I do? I am alone in this world, and I know nothing about it_ , Hermione answered in her mind, hoping he would hear her.

 _You are not alone. I am here with you_ , Griever answered, but this knowledge didn't make Hermione feel any better about her predicament. _You will soon become very familiar with my world. Make your way to Balamb Garden and request to speak to the Headmaster. He will help you_ , he told her.

Hermione nodded subconsciously; she was heading there anyway. _Okay, I'll head there_ , she said calmly, but inside she was screaming. Hermione steeled her nerves and looked down at her shaking hands. She had no other choice, but to do as he asked. 

oOoOo

Hermione handed the taxi driver the money Mrs Dincht gave her, having spent the car ride staring at the coins in fascination and confusion. She thanked him as he handed her the change, and got out of the car. Hermione looked up at the massive building making up Balamb Garden, and a genuine smile appeared on her face. Hermione walked towards the gates and noticed two people standing at the front entrance talking. One of them was a blonde-haired woman, and she seemed to be lecturing the young man with her, but he just looked bored.

Hermione made her way over to them and stopped a few metres from them. They both turned to look at her. ‘I'm out of here,' the young man said, turning to walk away.

‘Don't forget to change into your uniform!' the woman called after him, and he waved half-heartedly to acknowledge what she said. The woman huffed, shaking her head, before turning to Hermione. ‘Can I help you at all? You look a little lost,' she asked, and Hermione moved over to her.

‘Yes, I'm just visiting, but I need to see the Headmaster,' Hermione answered, hoping this woman was someone in authority.

‘I can certainly check if he will be able to see you. Please, follow me…, um…?' the woman trailed off quizzically.

‘Hermione Granger,' she greeted, inclining her head.

‘I'm Quistis Trepe. I'm an Instructor here in Balamb Garden,' she greeted back, shaking Hermione's hand.

‘Balamb Garden is beautiful. I wasn't expecting it to be so majestic,' Hermione gushed, taking in the building and her surroundings.

‘I came to Garden when I was ten years old, and I've always thought it to be majestic. The sight of it never gets old,' Quistis answered with a smile.

Hermione wondered about the Instructor. Quistis looked so young, maybe even the same age as herself. ‘How long have you been an Instructor here?' Hermione asked, thinking it was safer to propose that instead of asking for her age.

‘Only a year. I passed my SeeD exam when I was fifteen and got my Instructor licence when I was seventeen,' Quistis answered, leading her towards Reception. 

Hermione nodded, shocked to find she was only a year younger than Quistis, and she was an Instructor. ‘Wow, is it easy to become an Instructor at such a young age?' Hermione asked her.

‘It took a lot of hard work and studying to get to where I am. Few people put in the work I did. I'm the youngest student ever to become an Instructor,' Quistis answered, smiling at her. ‘But, the hard work paid off, and here I am!' She exclaimed with a chuckle, and Hermione smiled.

They reached the Reception, and Quistis stopped to grab a book. ‘You'll need to sign in because you're a visitor. Just write your name there…' she pointed to the space on the page, ‘and then put your reason for visiting here…' Quistis pointed to another space.

Hermione did as she asked, and Quistis handed the book back to the stern-looking receptionist. Quistis led her through the barriers, and to a giant computer in the main hall. ‘Take a seat here, and I'll fetch the Headmaster,' Quistis told her, and Hermione nodded and took a seat to wait. Quistis walked off towards the lift and disappeared from her view.

Hermione took this time to look around the main hall. It was massive and curved off in a circle with the lift in the middle. She watched the students wandering about, and caught sight of the young man she saw earlier entering through the barrier. He was walking with his head down, and his hands stuffed in his pockets. He seemed like a complete contrast to the rest of the students milling around who were laughing with their friends.

Hermione watched him, and he looked up at her, and she realised she was staring at him. Hermione turned away, clasping her hands together on her lap, and looked at the floor. Footsteps stopped beside her, and Hermione looked at the boots, before moving her eyes up to look at them. He was looking at her curiously, and Hermione could have sworn she'd seen him somewhere before.

‘You're a transfer student?' he asked quietly, tilting his head.

Hermione shook her head. ‘No, just visiting,' she answered.

He frowned for a moment while he looked at her, and Hermione thought he was almost studying her. ‘Huh…' he muttered, before walking off down the hall and around the corner.

Hermione watched him go in confusion, wondering why he even came over to her. He was very aloof and didn't even seem friendly. Not like everyone else she had met. Hermione shook her head and put him to the back of her mind. She would probably never have to speak to him again anyway. He didn't seem like a people person, and she doubted he would befriend her. Hermione hoped she wouldn't be here long enough to make any lasting friendships anyway.

Hermione snapped out of her thoughts when Quistis came back with an older man in tow. ‘Miss Granger?' the older man asked politely.

‘Yes,' Hermione answered, shaking his hand.

The Headmaster smiled. ‘Welcome to Balamb Garden. I am Cid Kramer,' he greeted, bowing to her. ‘Shall we take this to my office?' Cid asked, and Hermione nodded. She thanked Quistis as she passed her, and followed the Headmaster towards the lift.

From the corridor, the young man appeared and leaned on the giant computer. He stared at the lift and narrowed his eyes, wondering who that girl was and why she was here to see the Headmaster.

‘Squall, you need to change into your uniform! We'll be meeting soon for the test!' Quistis ordered him, and Squall rolled his eyes.

‘I'm going now,' Squall answered, reaching up to move his hair out of his face and stuffed his hands back in his pockets. Squall took one more look towards the lift before heading off to the Dormitory to change.

‘I'm going now,' Squall answered, reaching up to move his hair out of his face and stuffed his hands back in his pockets. Squall took one more look towards the lift before heading off to the Dormitory to change.


	3. Chapter Two: Any Other World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

_**Chapter Two: Any Other World** _

Hermione followed Cid into his office, and he closed the door behind them. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt very nervous. Hermione wasn't even sure why Griever wanted her to come to the Headmaster. What was she meant to tell him? That she was transported to their world to help a creature who could be tricking her? Hermione shook her head and took a seat in front of Cid's oak desk. 

Cid sat in his chair and eyed her suspiciously. She couldn't blame him. She just appeared and asked to speak to him. Cid pushed his glasses up on his nose. ‘You requested to see me, Miss Granger?' He said, indicating she should tell him what the purpose of her visit was.

‘Yes, I need help,' Hermione answered, looking down at her hands. ‘I won't lie and say I'm not sure why I needed to come here. I was advised to,' she told Cid, and he nodded.

‘Were you hoping to apply to become a student?' Cid asked her.

Hermione shook her head. ‘No, I think I'm too old for that. Plus, I already attend a school,' she answered, and this saddened her. Hermione wondered if she would ever get home and if she would ever see Harry and Ron again. Hermione took a deep breath and decided to tell Cid the truth. She didn't think he would believe her, but she had to try. Hermione guessed this is what Griever wanted her to do, and the sooner she helped him, the sooner she might be able to go home. ‘I am not from this world,' she told him, and Cid's eyes widened.

‘And by that you mean…?' Cid asked, trailing off and Hermione could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he processed this.

Hermione sighed. ‘I am from a world called Earth. My friends and I discovered a chamber at the school I attend. I don't know what happened to my friends, but I ended up here, and I woke up in the town down the road, Balamb. One of the students here, Zell, found me,' Hermione told him, watching his eyes widen further. 

Cid was silent as he thought about what Hermione said. She couldn't tell if he believed her or if he was going to call for someone to take her to a mental institution. After a long silence where Hermione shifted in her seat awkwardly, Cid finally looked up at her. ‘I don't believe you're lying,' he said and smiled at her. ‘Zell Dincht is a good student, and you're lucky he found you,' Cid added, and Hermione felt herself relax. Cid frowned then. ‘You mentioned a school you attend?' he asked, and Hermione wondered if it was best to tell him the truth about that.

After some thought, Hermione decided on the truth again. ‘Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,' she told him, wondering how Cid would take it.

‘So, you are a Sorceress?' Cid asked, and Hermione could hear the fear in his tone.

‘In essence, but I'm just referred to as a Witch. You make it sound like a bad thing,' Hermione said, closing her eyes. Maybe she made a mistake in giving him that information.

Cid sighed, and shook his head. ‘It depends on who you tell this information to,' he answered, looking at her. ‘I have known a Sorceress, and she was a good person. Not everyone viewed her in the same light though,' Cid revealed, and Hermione could see the subject upset him. It also made her curious as it sounded like there weren't many "Sorceresses" in this world. Hermione was interested as to who this Sorceress is as she may be able to help but kept her personal questions to herself.

‘Should I keep this information to myself?' Hermione asked, not liking the idea of lying to anyone.

‘No, just be aware there are people out there who would be afraid of you,' Cid answered, and smiled at her. ‘Am I correct in thinking you want to return to your world? And you need help?' Cid asked her.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yes, I just want to go home,' she replied, and she felt a tug in her mind. _Griever?_ Hermione thought, wondering if she could communicate with him as he did with her. 

_You must help me_ , Griever responded, and Hermione realised he must be able to hear every conversation she has. She almost felt violated and wondered if he could listen to her thoughts as well. 

_Do you hear everything I think or say to people?_ Hermione asked him.

_No, only what you want me to hear,_ Griever answered, and she could almost see a frown forming on his face.

Hermione closed her eyes. _I want to go home. If I help you, will you take me back?_ She asked him.

There was a pause, and Hermione could almost imagine he was worried she was going to ask that. _I do not know if I can. It depends on the outcome and circumstances. By helping me, you will be affecting your future as well as everyone's. I promise I will try_ , Griever answered, and Hermione slumped in her chair.

_My friends…_ Hermione trailed off.

_They are alive, but they worry for you_ , Griever answered, and Hermione relaxed. Knowing they were fine calmed her nerves considerably. 

Cid snapping his fingers in front of Hermione's face brought her out of her mental conversation with Griever. ‘Miss Granger?' he questioned, and his tone was worried.

‘I'm sorry, Cid, I zoned out there,' Hermione said sheepishly and shook her head.

‘I thought you were having an internal battle with yourself,' Cid chuckled, and Hermione smiled at how close he was to being right about that. ‘I need to be going. Some of the students are taking their final exam today, and I am seeing them off. Would you like to come?' Cid asked, and Hermione nodded, surprised he would invite her.

They left Cid's office and headed back down to the main hall. They walked over to Quistis who was holding a clipboard in her hand, and she was ticking off names as she looked at those assembled. Hermione noticed the same young man who had spoken to her briefly standing with another man she recognised instantly.

It was Zell.

Hermione looked at Cid, and he nodded, knowing she was silently checking if she could speak to Zell before he sent them off for their test. Hermione smiled and made her way over to him. ‘Are you Zell?' she asked him.

‘Yep! One and only!' Zell answered, and then something seemed to click in his mind. ‘Hey! You're the girl who washed up at the docks!' he said, and shook her hand. The handshake was a little more enthusiastic to what Hermione was used to. It was like he'd never shaken someone's hand before.

‘I just wanted to thank you,' Hermione said to him and bowed her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the aloof young man was watching the exchange with interest.

‘Yeah, no problem! I see Ma patched you up good,' Zell said, slamming his fist into his other hand. ‘I didn't recognise you. Are you a transfer student?' Zell asked, and he was almost bouncing on his feet. Hermione just gathered he was a restless guy who couldn't stand still for long.

‘No, just visiting. I'm not sure how I got here,' Hermione answered, and she noticed Cid raise his eyebrows. ‘But, we can talk more about that another time. I think your test is about to start,' Hermione said, and he nodded. ‘Good luck. See you later,' she added, and he grinned.

‘Catch you later!' Zell answered.

Hermione moved to stand next to Quistis, and her eyes found a pair of blue eyes looking at her with undisguised curiosity. His eyes narrowed then, and he looked away, crossing his arms. Hermione wondered what his problem was. She didn't have time to think about it though when Quistis huffed next to her. ‘What's wrong?' Hermione asked her.

‘One of the students we're waiting for is late,' Quistis grumbled, looking at her clipboard. ‘Seifer Almasy is the Squad Leader for Squad B. He's not very punctual,' she said, shaking her head. As if her words were a summoning charm, another young man with blonde hair sauntered through the crowd of students. He was wearing a long, grey coat, and Hermione instantly disliked him. He reminded her of a certain arrogant blonde in her world. Quistis clucked her tongue, before ticking a name off on her clipboard. ‘So, I see you decided to appear finally,' she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

Seifer smirked. ‘You know me, Instructor. Fashionably late as always,' he said, leaning against the giant computer. He noticed Hermione standing next to Quistis, and eyed her curiously. ‘New girl?' Seifer asked her, tilting his head. 

Hermione realised she didn't want another scenario like she dealt with at Hogwarts when Malfoy was a bastard to everyone. She decided to be civil, at least, and hopefully not have to speak to him again. Hermione forced a smile, but when she looked at him all she could see was Malfoy, and all she could hear was the awful taunting. Hermione shook her thoughts away. ‘No, just visiting,' she answered, keeping the smile on her face.

Seifer nodded, giving her a winning smile. Or, at least, that's what he thought it would be, but Hermione was not going to give in. ‘Well, maybe I'll see you later,' Seifer said, winking at her.

Hermione cringed on the inside. ‘Maybe,' she answered, gritting her teeth.

Quistis watched the exchange in curiosity, before stepping into her role as Instructor. ‘Well, Seifer, you are the Squad Leader for this mission. Best of luck,' she said and moved away, but Seifer held his arm out to stop her. Quistis looked at him questioningly.

‘I don't need luck,' Seifer said calmly, but Hermione thought she saw a flash on anger in his eyes. He pulled his arm away and smirked. ‘Save that luck for a bad student who needs it,' Seifer said, pointedly looking over at Zell.

Hermione glared at him. ‘Just like him,' she whispered, shaking her head. This whole scene made her think of all the times Malfoy fought with them. Seifer looked over at her but didn't comment. Hermione guessed he hadn't heard what she said and that was probably for the best. She didn't want to have to explain what she meant with all these people waiting to head off on their mission. 

Quistis leaned towards Seifer, giving him a smirk of her own. ‘I'll keep that in mind,' she answered, and as she walked past him, she turned back. ‘Good luck, Seifer,' Quistis added pointedly.

Seifer was fuming. ‘Add Instructor Trepe to the list,' he ordered his two companions. The burly one took out a notepad and wrote something down on it before putting it away again into his pocket.

Quistis rolled her eyes. ‘Squall, Seifer, and Zell, you are assigned to Squad B. I'm the instructor in charge,' she said, and the three aforementioned students came to stand next to her. 

Hermione noticed Squall was the aloof man who spoke to her earlier and made a mental note to avoid him. Hermione didn't know what to make of him, yet, and wasn't sure she wanted to find out. Though he did intrigue her, she couldn't deny it.

‘Whose idea was it to make him Squad Leader?' Zell asked, pointing a thumb at Seifer.

Quistis shook her head. ‘Seifer's the most experienced in this exam, so he became the Leader,' she answered, looking at her clipboard. ‘In any case, it can't be changed. Teamwork is the most important aspect of this exam, so let's get it over with,' Quistis told them, receiving a nod from Squall and Zell.

‘Teamwork also means staying out of my way! It's a Squad B rule, so don't forget it!' Seifer told them, receiving a shrug from Squall, and glare from Zell. Hermione watched the exchange, and she had a feeling Seifer was going to ruin the exam for them.

‘Everyone here?' Cid asked, walking over to Quistis.

Quistis looked at her clipboard. ‘Yes, sir,' she answered, bowing her head to him.

Cid nodded, and addressed the crowd of students waiting to leave for their exam. Hermione figured Cid was about to give them a motivational speech before they go. ‘It's been a while since I've seen anyone. I hope everyone is doing well,' Cid said, looking around at the sea of faces staring back. ‘You will all be proceeding to a real battlefield, and it will involve Squads A through to D. Remember, this is not a simulation, it is reality. Life and death, victory and defeat, honour and disgrace; each of these go hand in hand,' he paused, letting his words sink in. 

Hermione was quite shocked he would allow these students to go into a situation where they might be killed. However, when Hermione looked at the students who were taking part, none of them seemed fazed by this information.

Cid continued with his speech. ‘Nine SeeD members will accompany you and, should you fail, they will get the job done. They always do. So, that is one less worry on your mind,' Cid chuckled, scratching his head. Hermione could see he was nervous and figured he didn't make speeches to the student body very much. Nine people stepped forward to stand on either side of Cid, and Hermione guessed these were the SeeD members. ‘The pride of Balamb Garden! The elite mercenary force, SeeD! Learn from them, obey their commands, and accomplish this mission. Prove yourselves worthy of becoming a member of SeeD,' he finished, looking at the nine members in pride. Cid turned back to the students. ‘Best of luck to you all,' he added, waving them off.

Hermione watched the students turn and head down the corridor, and she wondered why they weren't leaving the Garden. ‘Where are they going?' Hermione muttered as Quistis stopped by her side.

‘We have a parking lot in the Garden. The cars are used for missions like this,' Quistis answered, smiling at Hermione. ‘I guess I'll see you later. I better catch my charges before they kill each other,' Quistis said with a chuckle and waved at her as she jogged to catch up with Squall, Zell, and Seifer.

Hermione watched them go, and silently wished them luck. She closed her eyes for a moment, wondering what she was going to do now. When she opened them again, Hermione noticed Squall had stopped walking and was looking back at her. She tilted her head, wondering why, but he turned and carried on walking. Hermione frowned… _Seriously, what is his problem?_ She thought, and an answering chuckle reverberated through her mind.


	4. Chapter Three: The Chosen Pessimist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

_**Chapter Three: The Chosen Pessimist** _

After the students left to start their exam, Cid walked over to Hermione. ‘Please, stay as long as you want,’ he said, handing her a key. Hermione looked down at it in confusion. ‘It’s a key to one of the guest rooms in the Dormitory,’ Cid told her.

Hermione smiled, completely taken aback by his unexpected, but kind, gesture. ‘Thank you, Cid. I don’t know how to repay you,’ Hermione said, shaking her head.

‘No need. I want to help, and this is a good place to begin. I imagine you’ll need a place to stay while you work out how to get home,’ Cid answered, and pointed down the hallway. ‘The Dormitory is along the north corridor. The room is amongst the student’s rooms, but I hope you will make friends while you are here. It’ll help make your stay more comfortable,’ Cid told her with a smile.

Hermione nodded in agreement. Making friends would make things a lot easier. She did want to get to know Quistis and Zell better and hoped they would do well in the exam. Hermione was rooting for Zell to become a SeeD and thought it would be amusing to see Seifer fail.

‘I hope you like the room, and if you need anything, you can visit me in my office. Just use the buzzer on the lift, and my secretary will let you know if I’m free. If not, leave a message with her, and I’ll come to see you,’ Cid told her, and Hermione felt relieved. She couldn’t believe how nice this man was.

Hermione thanked him and shook his hand. She turned to walk away towards the direction he pointed, but he stopped her. ‘I hope you will join us to celebrate the new SeeD’s joining the elite ranks. There will be an inauguration ball once they are appointed,’ Cid said, clasping his hands behind his back.

‘Is it a formal event?’ Hermione asked, realising she would have nothing to wear. She only had the clothes on her back.

‘Yes, so you will need to dress appropriately,’ Cid told her, taking in her attire.

Hermione laughed nervously, running a hand through her hair. She was in desperate need of a shower and grimaced at the feel of her hair. ‘I have nothing to wear,’ Hermione said sheepishly, averting her eyes.

Cid chuckled, causing Hermione to look at him in confusion. ‘Don’t worry about that,’ he told her and walked away leaving Hermione feeling mystified. She shook her head and walked down the corridor.

Hermione took the time to look at the signs to other areas while she walked. There was an Infirmary, where she noticed medics on standby. She figured they were waiting for the students on their SeeD exam to return so they could take any injured in straight away. The thought of those students getting hurt or killed made Hermione shudder. She couldn’t believe they let people so young go on excursions like that. It was not her place to say anything though, and she was sure they knew what they were doing. Those students would be fully trained for those types of situations.

Hermione moved on, coming to the Quad and she wondered what was there. She decided she would explore properly later, and moved on. Hermione went to the Cafeteria next, and her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten since Mrs Dincht gave her soup that morning. It felt like a lifetime ago now. Hermione decided she would shower, and eat, before exploring the Garden further. She decided she might even get a nap in, and yawned as the thought crossed her mind.

The next area was the Dormitory, so she made her way down the corridor and found hundreds of rooms. Hermione looked at the number on her key: “96”. She continued until she saw the room, and opened the door. A warm breeze washed over her, and she closed her eyes at the feeling. The room was small, but it would suit her needs. There was a double bed in one corner, an oak armoire, and a wardrobe. A little room off to the left of the main door led to a spacious bathroom, and Hermione was glad this school didn’t have communal amenities.

Hermione went for a shower and instantly felt better. She dreaded to think what she looked like beforehand, and refused to look in the mirror. Hermione left the bathroom, wondering what she was going to about her clothes. She didn’t have anything else, and the thought of putting on dirty clothes made her shower obsolete.

Hermione bit her lip, and her eyes fell on three neatly wrapped packages on the bed. She frowned, looking at her door. Hermione didn’t remember them being there when she first came in. Had someone come in while she was in the shower? The thought made a chill creep up her spine. Hermione shook her head, deciding she probably just didn’t notice them before.

Hermione walked over to the packages and opened the first one. There were clothes inside, and she smiled realising Cid must have sorted something out for her. Hermione had to wonder how he had done it so quickly and if they would fit her though as no one asked for her size. She shrugged and moved the packages onto the chair, opting to have a nap.

Hermione lay down on the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. She closed her eyes, and let the tears come. Hermione had been fighting them off since she found out Griever might not be able to help her get home. The thought terrified her, and she wished Harry and Ron were with her. At least then she wouldn’t feel so alone…

oOoOo

Harry and Ron had tried every spell conceivable to open the doorway to the chamber, but nothing worked. They tried coming back at certain times, but it was like it never existed. Even Malfoy was helping them, but neither of them knew why. They guessed he was just as confused about the entire thing as they were.

‘There must be a way to get back in there!’ Malfoy growled, pointing his wand and shouting ‘Reducto!’ All this achieved was the wall collapsing, and the three stared in shock at the wide, gaping hole showing outside. Owls flew past, and Malfoy went to the hole, looking out in horror and confusion. ‘What the fuck?’ Malfoy muttered, shaking his head. He used another spell to repair the wall, as he would get into serious trouble if he left it like that.

‘Should we speak to Dumbledore? He might know what’s happened,’ Ron suggested, and Harry could tell he was panicking.

‘Yeah, probably for the best. Dumbledore must know every secret there is,’ Harry answered, and he pulled out the Marauder’s Map again, looking for Hermione’s name, but it wasn’t there. No matter how many times he checked it, her name was missing.

Harry feared for his best friend.

oOoOo

Hermione awoke feeling refreshed, but her mood was still low. She wiped the sleep from her eyes, before getting out of bed and moving to the packages on the chair. Hermione pulled out a pretty white dress and slipped it on. She was thankful it fit and found a pair of white flat shoes to go with it.

Hermione grabbed her wand, and the key to the room and left, locking the door behind her. She didn’t know what time it was but wondered if the students had returned from their test. Hermione made her way out of the Dormitory and followed the other path to the main hall. She passed the Parking Lot Quistis mentioned earlier, and just past that was the Training Centre. Hermione decided she would check it out later as she was curious about how the training worked in the Garden.

Hermione stopped when she came to the Library, and a rush of excitement flowed through her. She could learn so much about this world from reading about it! Hermione moved towards the doors to the Library, but shouts from the entrance stopped her.

Hermione walked towards the giant computer and saw the medics rush past her. When they returned they were carrying several students in on stretchers, and her stomach dropped.

Hermione looked around trying to spot Quistis and Zell. She spotted Quistis kneeling over a girl with short, bobbed hair, who was lying on a stretcher and awaiting medical attention. Quistis was talking to her while holding the girl’s bloody hand. Hermione made her way over to them. ‘What happened?’ she asked, noticing Quistis was favouring one of her arms.

‘We were attacked by a robot. It destroyed Dollet,’ Quistis answered, shaking her head.

Hermione looked up as Zell appeared, holding onto Squall who was limping. Zell sat him down on one of the benches. ‘Well, that was a riot!’ Zell exclaimed, shaking his head. ‘How’s Selphie doing? She was hit pretty hard,’ Zell asked Quistis, leaning down next to the girl.

Quistis shook her head. ‘She was lucky, and she’ll be fine,’ she answered, looking around at the rest of the students.

Cid arrived at the main hall and took in the carnage before him. He was with a strangely clad person wearing an oval, yellow hat which covered their face. Their long, burgundy cloak fell to the floor, and the high collar stopped just below their eyes. Cid ran a hand through his hair. ‘So many casualties. Do we know what happened?’ he asked, looking around at them all.

‘We have requested a report from the Dollet Dukedom. It should take a few days before we have clarity on how this happened,’ the cloaked figure answered Cid, ticking something off on a clipboard.

Two other women came to stand by Cid. One of them was dressed like Quistis, in a formal uniform, while the other looked like a doctor. ‘What happened, Xu?’ Cid asked the formally dressed woman.

‘It started out well, and we managed to eliminate the Galbadian Army in the main town. Then, some of the students headed for the Communication Tower, and they retaliated with a robot. It attacked and destroyed the town,’ Xu explained, looking over at Quistis who was being patched up by a medic.

‘Which students?’ Cid asked, turning to look at her.

Xu shook her head. ‘Squad B, sir,’ she answered, looking over at Seifer who was lounging against a railing with a thoughtful expression on his face. ‘I believe they were just following the Squad Leader’s orders,’ Xu added, knowing it wasn’t Squall or Zell’s fault for what happened.

‘Well, at least there were no fatalities,’ Cid replied, moving over to Quistis. He turned towards the gathered students. ‘The final results of the exam will be postponed until we have more information about what occurred in Dollet, and due to the circumstances. Once we have this information, you will be asked to attend the conference. I want you all to rest, and classes will be dismissed for those affected by this,’ Cid announced, and he turned to walk away with Xu in tow.

Hermione looked at the students, some of them looked relieved at having a break after their ordeal, but others seemed more than a little pissed off at the news. Hermione shook her head, she could relate. Like when Dumbledore told the student body at Hogwarts that exams were cancelled, she had been gutted. A small smile flitted onto her face at the memory. Hermione felt eyes on her and turned to find Squall looking at her. His foot was bandaged, and she had to wonder what happened to him. He seemed like one of those people who could handle himself easily.

Squall got up, and limped past her, his eyes never leaving hers, but then he disappeared down the corridor. Hermione sighed and turned back to Quistis and Zell. The doctor came over to them and kneeled next to the girl. ‘Oh dear,’ she said, getting the attention of some medics. ‘Take her to the Infirmary,’ she ordered them, and they carried the girl away. ‘Quistis, are you alright?’ the doctor asked, taking a look at Quistis’ arm.

Quistis nodded, ‘Yes, Dr Kadowaki. I’m more concerned about the other students,’ she said, and Hermione could tell the Instructor was fighting back the tears.

‘They’ll be fine in a few days. In time for the results, no doubt,’ Dr Kadowaki answered, cleaning the wound with some ointment, and bandaging her arm. ‘There we go, you’ll be fine,’ she said, smiling at Quistis.

oOoOo

A few days passed, and Hermione was in the library reading a book on the history of the world. She was fascinated by this world and wanted to learn as much as she could so her understanding of how it worked would make things easier for her.

Hermione would generally be able to drown anything out around her when she was reading, but she heard Squall’s voice and looked up to find him standing with a couple of other students. Hermione decided to listen in to what they were saying. Maybe there was some insight into what happened in the exam.

‘Did you guys hear? Galbadia’s target was the Communication Tower,’ one of the guys said, lowering his voice as if he were telling a secret.

His friend shook his head. ‘But radio signals are useless, even if they get the tower to work,’ he answered in confusion.

‘Yeah, the worldwide signal interference would stop any form of radio signals,’ Squall told him, crossing his arms. ‘So, their reason for being there doesn’t make any sense,’ he added with a shrug.

A comms unit let out a jingle, and a voice was heard throughout the school. ‘ _The students who took part in the SeeD exam, please report to the main hall_ ,’ it said, and Hermione watched the two students and Squall leave the Library.

Curious, Hermione followed, wanting to find out more about what happened. Hermione made her way to the main hall and went to stand with Cid and Xu who were talking. ‘Ah, Hermione, how are you settling in?’ Cid asked, smiling at her.

‘Fine, thank you,’ Hermione answered, bowing her head to him.

‘This is Xu,’ Cid said, indicating to his companion.

Xu smiled at her. ‘Welcome to Balamb Garden. Headmaster Cid did mention you would be staying for a while,’ she said, shaking Hermione’s hand.

‘I don’t mean to pry, but what happened with the exam?’ Hermione asked them.

‘You’re not prying, I’m sure you are quite curious as to how things work here,’ Cid answered with a chuckle.

Hermione smiled, but it was Xu who answered. ‘We had no idea the Galbadian Army was after the abandoned Communication Tower. They didn’t even try to make any deals with the Dollet Dukedom, and just attacked them instead,’ she said, shaking her head at their audacity.

‘We have received the report back from the Dollet Dukedom regarding the situation now. Things have calmed down, and the Galbadian Army has agreed to withdraw providing the Communication Tower is repaired, and the uplink remains operational,’ Cid advised them.

‘What is this Communication Tower? Why do they want it working?’ Hermione asked, remembering the conversation in the Library.

‘It was used for transmitting radio signals, but it hasn’t been used in years. We can only speculate on what they want it for. In any case, Galbadia has left the town, and won’t return,’ Cid answered, scratching his head.

‘Shame really, we could have made more money if they refused to leave,’ Xu answered with a chuckle. Xu’s attention diverted to someone behind Hermione, and she turned to find Quistis and Squall who were talking. ‘Hey, you did well!’ Xu said, beaming at Squall.

Quistis chuckled. ‘Of course, he did! He’s my best student! He’s just not very social,’ she replied, shrugging as she looked at Squall. Hermione thought he barely even realised she said anything. Quistis turned back to him. ‘The results of the exam will be getting announced shortly. Feel free to stick with us,’ she told him. Squall nodded, but he wandered off to stand by the railing and crossed his arms. Quistis shook her head and looked at Hermione. ‘Told you, he’s not social at all. It’s a shame because he’s a good student and a nice guy,’ Quistis said and then frowned. ‘Well, sometimes, anyway,’ she added.

Cid nodded. ‘You should speak to him, Hermione. He doesn’t class anyone as friends, but everyone likes him. You might find a kindred spirit in him,’ Cid said, smiling at her.

Hermione frowned but turned to look at Squall. She wasn’t surprised that he had precious few friends, but she was curious about why everyone liked him. Hermione was put off by his aloof personality, but others were not. Maybe she misjudged him. Hermione sighed and thought it wouldn’t harm her to speak to him. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if he were an asshole to her. Hermione wouldn’t talk to him again, simple.

oOoOo

Squall watched the girl as she walked towards him, and his eyebrows creased into a frown. Why was she coming towards him? He straightened and tensed, not knowing what to make of this. She stopped next to him and smiled. ‘I’m Hermione,’ she said, introducing herself. ‘I never had the chance to tell you my name,’ she said, and her smile faltered.

Squall snapped out of his thoughts. ‘Squall,’ he answered, but he didn’t smile back.

‘So, how was the exam? You looked like you were hurt,’ Hermione said, looking down at his leg. Dr Kadowaki had removed the bandages that morning, and his leg was okay now.

‘I enjoyed it. It was a good feeling,’ Squall answered, and Hermione was surprised she got that much out of him. ‘As for my leg, I fell off the harbour wall while withdrawing. The robot was chasing us,’ Squall told her with a shrug.

Hermione was awed he said more than one word to her. ‘Well, I’m glad you feel better,’ she said, and she suddenly felt shy.

Hermione hadn’t taken the time to look at him really, but now that she did she found he was gorgeous. His dark brown hair fell into his face, stopping just under his ears. A fresh scar ran from his forehead and down the left side of his nose, and Hermione wondered how he got it. Her eyes traced the injury and then moved back to his bright, blue eyes. For a moment, Hermione saw a flash of Griever’s eyes…

‘Are you alright?’ Squall asked her.

Hermione realised she blacked out for a moment and looked at Squall. ‘Yes, I’m fine,’ she said, but she backed away from him with a frown. Hermione turned and made her way back over to Cid, Quistis, and Xu. Squall watched her, frowning at her sudden departure. He shook it off, but the look on her face startled him. It was like she was suddenly afraid of him…

Cid looked at Hermione when she came back over to them. He saw the exchange and wondered what Squall had said to upset her. ‘Hermione?’ Cid asked, frowning at her.

Hermione looked up at him. ‘Huh?’ she asked.

Cid looked over at Squall who was still looking at Hermione in confusion and intrigue. ‘Did Squall say something to upset you? He can be blunt and direct which can offend others,’ Cid said, but Hermione shook her head.

‘No, he did nothing wrong. I was reminded of something,’ Hermione said, and Cid nodded, but he wasn’t entirely convinced.

‘Well, we are going to be calling the students who passed the exam up to my office,’ Cid told her, and Hermione nodded. ‘Would you like to join us?’ Cid asked her, and Hermione smiled.

‘Yes, thank you,’ Hermione answered, and followed Cid to the lift.

Squall, Zell, and the students followed as they were to wait on the second floor to be called if they passed. Seifer was leaning against the wall next to the lift, and Hermione noticed him stop Squall. ‘Did you hear about the Communication Tower in Dollet?’ Seifer asked him, and Squall nodded. ‘We would’ve been heroes if it weren’t for that withdraw order,’ Seifer told him with a shrug.

Hermione thought he looked somewhat confident and wondered if he was going to pass the exam. She hoped not, he was too arrogant and probably couldn’t follow orders to save himself.

‘You were only looking for a fight,’ Quistis said, glaring at him.

Seifer scoffed at her. ‘My dear, Instructor, I’m hurt. Those are rather cruel words for an aspiring student. A mediocre instructor like you will never understand,’ he said with a shrug.

Hermione frowned, he was so much like Malfoy they could be related. It made her wonder if this were an alternate world, where the people were similar to people she knew in her world. Hermione shook the thought away knowing it was stupid. Sadly, there were just people out there like Malfoy.

‘Seifer, don’t be so stuck up yourself. You’ll take all responsibility for leaving the designated area!’ Xu retorted, placing an arm on Quistis’ arm. The insult to her abilities as an Instructor had affected her more than Hermione thought it would. Quistis seemed so sure of herself, but Hermione had to wonder how strong she was when faced with opposition.

Seifer shrugged, looking at his nails as if they were merely commenting on the weather. ‘Wasn’t it my duty, as Captain, to take the best possible action? We saw the enemy, so we followed and discovered what they wanted,’ Seifer answered, looking at her with cold, blue eyes.

Xu laughed bitterly. ‘You’re never going to be a SeeD with that attitude. Calling yourself a “Captain” is a joke,’ she said and got Cid’s attention. He walked away from the lift over to them to see what the commotion was about. ‘You wanted to talk to Seifer, sir?’ Xu said, and Cid nodded.

Seifer was shaking with rage as Xu pointed to him. Cid stopped next to Quistis, first. ‘Quistis, come to my office later,’ he ordered her, and she nodded. Quistis walked away with her head down, and Hermione could see her shoulders were shaking. She hoped Cid wouldn’t be too harsh on the Instructor. What happened in the exam wasn’t her fault.

Seifer looked up as Cid approached him. ‘Sir?’ he said through gritted teeth.

‘Seifer, you will be disciplined for your irresponsible behaviour. You must follow orders exactly during combat,’ Cid said, and Seifer looked at the ground. ‘I’m not without sympathy for you. You’re not a machine. I want you to be able to act and think for yourselves, but your actions cost casualties, which cannot be abided,’ he said, and Seifer nodded, crossing his arms. ‘Now, please head to the second floor and await the results with everyone else,’ Cid ordered him.

Seifer pushed off the wall and got into the lift with some other students. His two followers also went in with him. Hermione watched them go and turned to Squall and Zell who were waiting for the lift to come back down. ‘Well, at least we know Seifer won’t be a SeeD,’ Zell said, but Squall didn’t reply, and Hermione wondered if he even heard him.

One of the cloaked Garden Faculty appeared. ‘Headmaster, we are ready,’ he said, bowing his head.

‘Right, let’s go to my office,’ Cid said, leading Hermione, Xu, and the faculty onto the lift.

oOoOo

Hermione took a seat in Cid’s office waiting for the new SeeD’s to make their appearance. She crossed her legs and leaned her elbow on the table, with her head supported by her hand. For a moment, Hermione wondered what she was doing. Griever had set a mission for her, but she still didn’t know what it entailed or where to start. It was irritating her that he had given her such little information.

_Patience_ , Griever said, having heard her thoughts.

_What am I doing here? You said you needed help_ , Hermione thought back, watching as two Garden Faculty, both dressed the same, entered the office followed by four students. Hermione smiled when she saw Zell and was glad to see he made SeeD. Accompanying him was a student she didn’t recognise, and the girl who was on the stretcher. Behind her was Squall, and she raised her eyebrows as his eyes found her.

_You will embark on your journey soon. For the moment, listen to Cid and do as he says, and accept any invitations he gives you. There are certain… people you will want to get to know_ , Griever advised her, and she didn’t like the way he said “people”. It made her think someone was going to appear who she should watch out for.

_Should I be worried?_  Hermione asked him, as she waved at Zell who returned it nervously. He was bouncing from one foot to the other, and she could see he could hardly contain his excitement. Hermione was truly happy for him.

_Of course, you should be. Keep your eyes open, and be careful of who you trust_ , Griever warned her.

Hermione nodded internally and watched Cid approach the four students. ‘Congratulations on passing your SeeD exam!’ he exclaimed, looking at them with pride. ‘However, from now on, as a member of SeeD, you will be dispatched all over the world. We are proud to introduce SeeD, Balamb Garden’s mercenary soldiers. SeeD soldiers are combat specialists, but that is only one aspect of it. When the time comes—’ Cid was cut off by a Garden Faculty member clearing his throat loudly.

Cid turned to him, looking slightly annoyed with the cloaked figure. ‘Headmaster, it’s almost time for the meeting. Please, make this short,’ he said, and Cid nodded for him to continue, crossing his arms. The Garden Faculty turned to the new SeeD recruits. ‘SeeD is a valuable asset to Garden. Its reputation is solely dependent on each one of you. Handle any missions you are assigned with the utmost care,’ he advised them and turned back to Cid who was fuming. Hermione would have laughed, but the look on Cid’s face killed the laugh in her throat. He didn’t just look fuming, but he looked like he wanted to attack the cloaked man. Cid schooled his features when the Faculty turned to him. ‘Is that what you wanted to say, sir?’ he asked, and Cid gave him a curt nod. ‘Here is your report!’ the Faculty said, handing Cid some certificates.

Cid moved towards the four members, but stopped and looked at Hermione. He handed them to her. ‘Would you mind handing these out for me, Hermione?’ Cid asked her, and Hermione smiled, taking the reports.

Hermione looked at the name on top: “Selphie Tilmitt”. She looked at the four assembled and remembered Zell said the girl’s name was Selphie. Hermione moved over to them and handed Selphie her report. ‘Thanks!’ she chirped, and Hermione was surprised the girl was so bouncy and energetic after what happened to her.

Hermione smiled at her before moving onto the next person. It was the guy she didn’t recognise, so she assumed he was “Nida Gilmore”, and handed his report to him. Nida thanked her and looked at his report.

Hermione moved on to Zell next and smiled at him. ‘Well done, Zell. I kept my fingers crossed for you,’ Hermione said, smiling at him and handing him his report.

‘Thanks! It paid off, at least,’ Zell said, saluting her good-humouredly. He looked down at his report, and his face paled. Zell laughed nervously. ‘Whoa, I could have done better,’ he muttered to himself.

‘The main thing is you passed,’ Hermione told him encouragingly.

‘Yeah, yeah, you’re right!’ Zell said in agreement.

Hermione smiled at him before moving on to the last student who was Squall. Hermione glanced down at his report, seeing he scored everything one hundred percent. Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise and looked up at him. ‘Are you done reading my report?’ Squall asked, taking it from her.

‘Sorry, I was just so surprised to see your mark,’ Hermione answered timidly, looking away in embarrassment.

‘Yeah,’ Squall muttered, crossing his arms.

Hermione took a deep breath and smiled at him. ‘Well done,’ she said, and he nodded. She sighed inwardly, believing he was just a difficult person to get along with.

Hermione shook her head and went to walk away as the students filed out. ‘Are you going to the party?’ Squall asked her, and she looked at him in surprise.

‘Yes,’ Hermione answered, looking at him in wonder and confusion.

‘Huh…’ Squall mumbled, before looking at his report. ‘See you there, then,’ he added before following the others out.

Cid came to stand next to her. ‘He’ll come around,’ he said to her, and Hermione looked at him in confusion. ‘You should go and get ready for the ball,’ he told her, and she nodded absently. ‘Do me a favour, and make sure Squall attends. He may have mentioned going, but he will probably change his mind. He is not a social person,’ Cid requested, and she frowned.

‘Why do you want me to get him?’ Hermione asked him.

‘As you may have noticed, he doesn’t talk much, except to very few people. He doesn’t speak to people willingly unless he has no other choice,’ Cid revealed, and Hermione’s eyes widened as she realised there were times he had spoken to her willingly and she wondered why that was.

‘What room is he in?’ Hermione asked, needing to know where she would find him later.

‘Room 10 for now, but he’ll be moving into Room 98,’ Cid told her, and Hermione realised that Squall’s room was going to be the one opposite hers.

Without another word, Hermione nodded and left the office. Cid watched her go in amusement. ‘You are throwing her into the deep end, Cid,’ came a voice from the corner.

Cid turned to the creature the voice belonged to. ‘Best to keep her in the loop. It will be easier for them both if they become friends,’ Cid answered.

Griever nodded. ‘It is, for now,’ he answered, looking towards the door with longing eyes.

‘One day at a time,’ Cid said to him, and Griever nodded.

‘I must get back. She does not know I am here,’ Griever said, and Cid nodded sadly, watching the great beast disappear.

‘Yes, things are about to get very interesting,’ Cid whispered, looking back towards the door.


	5. Chapter Four: The SeeD Inauguration Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

_**Chapter Four: The SeeD Inauguration Party** _

Squall slowly made his way back to the Dormitory and pulled out his key. Opening his door, which he shared with another student, he leaned back against it and closed his eyes. Squall didn’t know what it was, but the new girl, Hermione, made him feel strange. There was something about her that wasn’t right, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

Squall shook his thoughts away and made his way into his room. Hanging up next to his regular clothes was his new tailor-made SeeD uniform. He studied it for a moment, before sitting on his bed. Squall didn’t even know why he told her he would see her at the party; he didn’t have any intention of going.

Annoyed, Squall stood up and paced as he tried to understand who Hermione was and why she was here.  _Why is she by Cid’s side all the time? Where did she come from? Is she someone important? Why is she here?_  These questions appeared, but Squall knew he would get no answers unless he spoke to her and asked her. That’s if she would even tell him anything.

Squall closed the door to his room and pulled his uniform off. He pulled on a pair of old jogging bottoms and lay down on his bed, intending to sleep and stop the thoughts going through his mind.

oOoOo

Some hours later, Squall woke to the sound of knocking on the main door to the common room. Rolling his eyes, he figured it was probably just Steveo. The guy tended to forget his key. With this in mind, he didn’t even bother to put a t-shirt on. Squall opened the door. ‘I swear, Steveo, you need—’ his sentence died in his throat when he took in Hermione standing on the other side of the door.

Hermione gaped like a fish out of water, and her eyes moved down his body, taking in his muscles, flat stomach, and the tattoo of a lion he had down the left side of his abdomen. When Hermione realised she was staring, she blushed scarlet and turned around. ‘I am so sorry!’ She gasped, and Squall could tell she was mortified.

Embarrassed himself, Squall didn’t even try to hide his exasperation. ‘Can I help you? How did you know this was my room?’ he questioned her, moving back inside. Squall left the door open though, expecting her to follow him into the room. He went to his room and pulled on a t-shirt. When he returned, Squall realised she was still standing outside the room shaking her head. He rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the room. ‘What do you want?’ Squall asked her, crossing his arms over his now-covered chest.

Hermione took a breath. ‘Cid asked me to come and get you,’ she told him, looking everywhere, but at him.

Squall couldn’t deny her embarrassment was cute, but he dispelled that thought as soon as it entered his mind. ‘So?’ he said, sitting down on the couch. He indicated for her to take a seat as well.

Hermione looked around, deciding to sit on the desk chair on the other side of the room. ‘For the party,’ she said plainly and gestured to his clothes. ‘I see you’re not ready,’ Hermione added, finally looking at him.

Squall shook his head and stood up. ‘Well, you wasted your time,’ he told her, moving towards the door and opening it. ‘I’m not going,’ he said stubbornly.

Hermione sighed and stood up to leave. Squall took her in properly now that the embarrassment was over, noticing she was dressed for the party. Hermione was wearing a beautiful floor-length dark green dress with a slit up the leg. She had put on a little make-up to highlight her already stunning features, and her long brown tresses were curled and left loose. Squall quickly looked away before she noticed he was staring at her.

Hermione turned to him when she reached the door. ‘You’re really not coming? This is to congratulate you and the others for making SeeD. I’m not from here, but I imagine it’s a pretty big deal to make SeeD,’ Hermione said, looking into his eyes. She tried to read him, but his eyes didn’t give her much to go on.

Squall rolled his eyes and gripped the door handle tighter. Hermione shrugged and was about to leave, but he held out his arm to stop her. ‘Sit down, I’ll get ready,’ he grumbled, closing the door again and moving into his room. Squall closed that door as well, and he came out moments later with his SeeD Uniform and a towel. He didn’t say anything as he moved into the bathroom he shared, and Hermione heard the shower switch on.

Hermione bit her lip, and for the next ten minutes, she desperately tried to think of anything other than Squall naked in the shower. It didn’t work, and she groaned, leaning her head on the table.

‘Something wrong?’ Squall asked her, walking out of the bathroom fully dressed in his SeeD Uniform.

‘No,’ Hermione replied, too quickly which Squall picked up on.

Deciding not to comment, Squall went into his room and picked up his boots. He took them back out and used the chair next to Hermione to tie them once they were on. Hermione watched him, noticing how his wet hair fell into his eyes and…  _Oh dear, Merlin, I really need to stop this!_  She thought to herself and heard an answering chuckle.  _Griever! This is not the time!_  Hermione shouted at her constant companion, but he just laughed harder in her mind.

Squall straightened up. ‘Well, let’s go then,’ he said, moving towards the door.

‘We’re going together?’ Hermione asked stupidly, and she could tell it was an idiotic question because Squall just stared at her blankly.

‘You came to get me, remember?’ Squall said, shaking his head as she followed him out the door. He locked it and walked down the hallway with her in tow trying to keep up with his strides. ‘Let’s get this over with,’ Squall whispered, and Hermione frowned at how against socialising he seemed to be.

oOoOo

Hermione entered the ballroom and looked around in awe. The room was beautiful, with a glass ceiling and she could see the stars so clearly. Waltzing music was playing, and couples were dancing on the large dance floor. Across one wall was a buffet with all sorts of weird dishes, and Hermione wasn’t sure she would be trying them anytime soon.

Hermione thought it was somewhat romantic.

Hermione turned around, expecting Squall to still be with her, but she noticed he was gone. She sighed but didn’t let it get to her for long. Hermione took a glass of champagne from the waitress walking past and decided to look for Cid so she could let him know she’d talked Squall into coming to the party.

Leaning against a pillar at the other side of the room was Squall. He watched Hermione wander through the crowds of people and wondered if he should have told her he was going to hide in a dark corner and wait this out. Squall hated crowds, and he was not good at socialising.

Squall took a glass of champagne from one of the waitresses and looked back out at the crowd. He spotted Seifer talking to a young dark-haired girl wearing a white dress and raised his eyebrows when Seifer kissed her cheek and left. Squall shook his head and continued to scan the room.

After some time, Squall groaned inwardly when he noticed Zell heading in his direction. He took a drink from his champagne and decided he would just ignore Zell.

‘Yo!’ the blonde shouted to him and moved to stand next to him. ‘S’up, Squall?’ Zell greeted cheerfully, but Squall didn’t respond and took another drink. ‘Heh-heh, I guess we’re both SeeD’s now, huh?’ He said, starting to sound a little nervous. Zell extended his hand to Squall. ‘Put it there, man,’ he said, but Squall just stared from his hand to him and raised his eyebrows. Zell retracted his hand and laughed. ‘Hah, even as a SeeD, you’re still the same,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Well, that’s typical of you,’ Zell added with a smile which Squall didn’t return. This time he did shrug to show Zell he hadn’t completely ignore him though. ‘Well, see ya!’ Zell said and ran off.

Squall watched him bump into Selphie, and after what looked to be a really awkward conversation, Zell bounded off very quickly. Selphie spotted Squall, and he groaned inwardly again. ‘Squall! Hi!’ she greeted, and Squall noticed Hermione found him as well. He wished he could just disappear so no one would see him.

‘Hello,’ Hermione said, looking at Squall and Selphie.

‘Heya!’ Selphie chirped, and she looked back at Squall. ‘I’m recruiting members for the Garden Festival Committee. Do you want to join, Squall? You can help out whenever you have the time,’ Selphie said and gave him puppy eyes. ‘Please?’ she asked him.

‘What’s this Garden Festival, Selphie?’ Hermione asked her, and Selphie turned towards her, excitement in her eyes.

‘It’s a concert, and I need four people who can play instruments and some others to help set it up. No one is interested though,’ Selphie said, her enthusiasm sobering as she explained it. She shook her head and sighed. ‘I have the scores prepared, but finding a band and committee helpers is harder than writing it was!’ Selphie exclaimed, shaking her head.

Squall watched the exchange in amusement, but the Garden Festival was a social committee, and he didn’t particularly want to have to deal with people in general. Squall was about to decline but stopped himself when Hermione smiled at Selphie. ‘Well, I can’t play an instrument, but I can help with organising it,’ she said, watching Selphie’s eyes light up.

‘Really!? Thank you! You’re the best!’ Selphie exclaimed, fist-pumping the air.

‘I’ll help too,’ Squall said without thinking, and both girls turned to stare at him. Squall had no idea what possessed him to say it, but Selphie looked like Christmas had come early.

‘Wow! Squall, thanks! Whoo-hoo!’ Selphie said excitedly, smiling at him. ‘I know we’ll be busy with a lot of SeeD stuff, but let’s work hard on the Garden Festival, too,’ she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. ‘Bye!’ Selphie called as she bounded off to find others to join as well before they could change their minds.

Hermione smiled at Squall. ‘What?’ he asked, taking a drink of his champagne.

‘It just doesn’t seem like your thing. You’re just full of surprises,’ Hermione answered, shaking her head.

‘Well, this party isn’t my thing, but I’m still here,’ Squall pointed out.

Hermione smiled. ‘Only because I dragged you here,’ she said, tilting her head at him.

‘Yeah,’ Squall muttered, taking another drink.

Hermione leaned against the pillar next to Squall, and he shifted a little, so there was more room for her. She was surprised but didn’t say anything. They stood in companionable silence for a few minutes until a guy came over to them. ‘Care to dance?’ he asked Hermione.

Hermione smiled at him and accepted his hand. ‘Sure,’ she answered, glancing at Squall. His face was expressionless as normal, but Hermione thought she saw something flicker in his eyes for a moment. She handed him her drink. ‘Can you hold this for me?’ Hermione asked him, and he took it without a word.

Squall watched Hermione moving across the dance floor, laughing with the man who asked her to dance, and he felt something shift in him. It was an uncomfortable emotion that he couldn’t place. Squall didn’t like it. He suddenly felt annoyed and made to leave.

As Squall walked through the crowds, he came to the edge of the room where the windows met the glass roof making it look like a dome. Outside, through the glass roof, he noticed a shooting star. As Squall followed its progression, he caught sight of the girl who was with Seifer earlier. She was standing alone on the dance floor, looking out at the stars. She turned her gaze to his, a smile lighting up her face, and she raised her index finger. Squall frowned, not knowing what she meant by that, and she walked over to him.

Squall tilted his head as he wondered who she was. ‘You’re the best-looking guy here,’ she said casually, and Squall was a little taken aback by how forward she was. He disliked her instantly. ‘Dance with me?’ She asked him, but he looked away without answering and took a sip of his champagne. She smiled at him. ‘Let me guess… you’ll only dance with someone you like?’ she asked him, and he took another drink.

_Damn straight,_  Squall thought, looking back out onto the dance floor to find Hermione dancing with a different guy, but she was looking back at him with an expression he couldn’t place. Her eyes were flitting from him to the girl with him, and he wondered why.

‘Okay then,’ the girl continued with a sigh. ‘Look into my eyes…’ She said, slowing her voice down. She twirled her finger in front of Squall’s eyes like she was trying to hypnotise him. ‘You’re-going-to-like me... You’re-going-to-like-me...’ she said, before pulling her hand away. ‘Did it work?’ she asked him.

Squall couldn’t help but chuckle at this girl. There were plenty of other guys she could dance with, but she just had to choose the guy who wanted desperately to leave so he could sort out his jumbled thoughts.

On that note, Squall noticed Zell again and gained his attention. The blonde bounded over to them. Squall turned back to the girl. ‘No, it didn’t work, but good try,’ he said, noticing her mouth fall open in shock. Squall pushed Zell towards her. ‘This is Zell, he’ll dance with you,’ he said, shrugging at Zell who was giving him a look that screamed: “what the heck are you doing?” The girl shrugged and grabbed Zell’s hand, dragging him onto the dance floor. Squall actually laughed out loud at the look on Zell’s face.

Hermione noticed this exchange, and couldn’t help the smile that came to her face. After her dance, she made her way back over to Squall. ‘So, having fun?’ Hermione asked, looking at the ghost of a smile still on his face.

‘I am now,’ Squall answered, nodding towards the girl who was dragging Zell about the dance floor.

‘He really doesn’t want to dance, does he?’ Hermione said, laughing at the poor guy.

‘Yeah, maybe that was a bit harsh of me,’ Squall muttered, taking a drink of his champagne.

‘Why didn’t you dance with her?’ Hermione asked him, and Squall looked at her in surprise. ‘I guess that’s why she came over to you?’ she added, looking away from him to the dance floor.

‘I… can’t dance,’ Squall said, looking away from her.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. ‘It’s just a bit of fun. I don’t know the dances, but I still tried, and it was fun,’ she told him with a smile.

‘I noticed,’ Squall whispered before he could stop himself, and took a drink.

Hermione frowned at him, wondering what he meant by that, but she didn’t comment. ‘Would you dance with me?’ Hermione asked, looking at him.

Squall had just taken a drink when she asked, and he choked. He looked at her in astonishment. ‘You want to dance with me?’ Squall asked in shock.

‘It’s just a bit of fun,’ Hermione muttered, looking away from him in embarrassment. ‘If you don’t want to, I’m not going to force you,’ she said and turned to walk away from him.

Hermione felt a hand grab hers, and she turned back to look at Squall. ‘Not a word if I mess up,’ he said to her, and she nodded. Hermione couldn’t believe it actually worked.

Squall led her onto the dance floor and turned towards her, placing his hand on her waist, while she rested hers on his shoulder. He took hold of her other hand and began leading the dance. Hermione quickly realised Squall was lying about not being able to dance, and she raised her eyebrows at him. ‘I thought you couldn’t dance,’ Hermione stated, making sure to not stand on his feet.

‘I lied,’ Squall said with a shrug, and Hermione was shocked to see a tiny smile appear at the corner of his mouth.

Squall spun Hermione away from him, before pulling her back as the routine ended. Squall looked at her, and Hermione suddenly felt nervous at their proximity. Fireworks exploded overhead, diverting their attention to the glass roof. Hermione used this distraction to pull away from him. She smiled at him. ‘Thanks for the dance. It was enlightening,’ Hermione told him and walked away.

Squall watched her go, and he suddenly felt uncertain of himself. Why did I agree to dance with her? He walked off the dance floor but noticed the girl in the white dress again. She waved at him, so he guessed there were no hard feelings. Squall couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his mouth as he was reminded of Zell’s face…

oOoOo

Some hours later, Hermione wandered down the corridor towards the Dormitory. She couldn’t stop smiling, but she was shocked at how different Squall seemed to be now. Hermione had known him only a few days but had managed to get him to be a bit friendlier than what he was like when they first met. She still couldn’t believe she’d actually got him to dance. She hadn’t been expecting that.

Maybe there was hope for him yet.

On the way down the corridor, Hermione heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Squall. Only he looked angry about something. ‘Hey,’ she said, and he looked up at her. Squall didn’t say anything but nodded at her in greeting. ‘Something wrong?’ Hermione prodded, not expecting him to tell her, but it was worth a try.

‘No, just had an irritating conversation with Instructor Trepe,’ Squall said with a shrug.

Hermione nodded, falling into to step with him as they made their way towards the rooms. On the way, they heard running behind them and turned to see Zell. ‘Finally! There you are, Squall!’ He called, stopping next to them and nodding at Hermione in greeting before turning back to Squall. ‘Where the hell were you? I was lookin’ all over the place,′ Zell asked, but Squall just rolled his eyes. ‘No matter. We’ve got our own rooms now because we’re members of SeeD. The Headmaster asked me to find you so I could give you your key,’ he told him and handed Squall a key. ‘Your stuff was moved across earlier in the night,’ Zell added, and Squall nodded.

‘All right, thanks,’ Squall muttered, looking at his key which had “98” engraved in the key-ring. Hermione didn’t comment, but she walked with him to the rooms. They arrived at his room, and Squall opened the door. He looked back at Hermione curiously, wondering why she was still there.

Hermione pulled out her key and opened her door before turning back to him. ‘Hey, neighbour,’ she said with a chuckle.

Squall didn’t react but looked in his room instead. It was the same layout as Hermione’s except on the opposite side of the corridor. ‘I should get some sleep…’ Squall trailed off as he looked back at Hermione.

‘Sure,’ Hermione said and moved into her room. ‘Good night,’ she whispered.

Squall wanted to ask her so many questions at that moment, but he held his tongue. ‘Good night,’ he said instead and closed his door. Squall leaned his head on his door and shut his eyes. Whatever was happening to him, he hated it.

Unknown to him, Hermione was leaning her head against her door, thinking similar thoughts.


	6. Chapter Five: The Stage is Set

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

_**Chapter Five: The Stage is Set** _

Hermione awoke early the next morning, intending on checking out the Garden properly. She showered and dressed, and was about to leave her room when a knock sounded at the door. Hermione frowned and opened the door, revealing Selphie on the other side. ‘Morning!' Selphie chirped.

‘Hi, Selphie. Everything okay?’ Hermione asked her, and her eyes shot to Squall’s door as it opened.

Squall looked at her in surprise, before closing his door. ‘Come on, Selphie. We’re going to be late,’ he muttered and stalked down the hall without another word.

Hermione sighed. _Great, he’s chucked the wall back up again,_ she thought, watching him go.

‘The Headmaster was looking for you. I was coming to get Squall anyway, so I thought I'd see if you were here,' Selphie said, and Hermione nodded.

‘Did Cid say what he wanted me for?’ Hermione asked her, closing her door and following the bouncy girl down the corridor.

‘Nope, but he’ll be in the main hall to see us off, so you might as well come with me,’ Selphie answered with a smile.

Hermione stopped walking and looked at the girl. ‘See you off? Where are you going?’ She asked her.

Selphie turned back to her. ‘Our first SeeD assignment. Squall, Zell, and I are to go to Timber. We don't know when we'll be back,' she revealed, and Hermione frowned.

‘That’s a bit sudden. You only became SeeD’s yesterday,’ Hermione stated, more to herself than Selphie.

‘It happens,’ Selphie said with a smile, and Hermione wondered if anything got this girl down. She always seemed so happy.

Hermione shrugged and followed Selphie to the main hall where Squall, Cid, and a member of the Garden Faculty were standing at the giant computer, waiting. Cid smiled at Hermione. ‘I trust you slept well?’ he asked her and received a nod in response.

Hermione glanced over at Squall, but he didn't look at her. She sighed again and decided it was probably for the best that she didn't allow him to get under her skin. Besides, they were about to head off on their first mission, and Hermione highly doubted she would still be here when they returned. She had her mission to get on with, and she was just waiting for Griever to advise her on what to do next. He was very silent that morning, and Hermione was starting to feel a little lost and alone.

‘One more minute…’ the Garden Faculty said, looking at his watch in annoyance.

Zell appeared then, riding a hoverboard through the corridors towards them. He stopped near them, almost falling off, but he managed to balance himself, and flipped it up into his arms. Hermione was in awe, hoverboards weren't even a thing in her world yet, and she wondered how more advanced this world was. ‘Made it!' Zell said, breaking Hermione from her thoughts.

The Garden Faculty growled. ‘T-Boards are prohibited within Garden. Have you forgotten?’ he said sternly.

Zell flinched but kept his cool. ‘Oops, sorry! But this is really cool. It may come in handy on a SeeD mission, someday,' Zell said, giving the Garden Faculty a hopeful expression.

‘We'll be the judges of that,' he said, taking the T-Board from Zell. He turned to his colleague and handed it to him. ‘Confiscate it,' he ordered, and the other member bowed low and disappeared down the corridor towards the lift. The Garden Faculty turned back to Zell. ‘Besides our guest here,’ he paused, gesturing to Hermione, ‘all of you are members of SeeD, but… nevertheless, you’re still students at this Garden,’ he said, glaring at Zell. ‘Furthermore, because you are SeeD’s, you must set an example to all others and abide by the Garden’s rules,’ he admonished, crossing his arms. ‘Understood!?’ he barked.

Zell nodded, but Hermione could see he was pretty pissed off by this turn of events. She could see his whole body shaking in anger, and hoped he wasn’t about to lash out. Thankfully, Cid stepped forward then and gave Zell a meaningful look, and the blonde calmed down.

Cid nodded before addressing them as a whole, ‘For your first mission, you are to go to Timber. There, you will be supporting a resistance faction. A member of the faction will contact you when you arrive,’ he advised them, receiving nods from the three SeeD’s, while Hermione wondered why she was present at this meeting.

‘This person will talk to you and say, “the forests of Timber sure have changed”. At this time, you must reply, “But the owls are still around”. That is the password,’ the Garden Faculty told them.

‘Just follow the Faction's orders,' Cid told them, receiving nods back. ‘A moment, Hermione,' Cid said and led her off to one side. Hermione noticed Squall was now looking at them with a curious expression, but when he noticed she saw him, he looked away. Hermione ignored the irritation rising in her, and turned back to Cid. ‘I think you should go with them, Hermione,' he told her, and her eyes widened.

‘Why?’ Hermione asked him.

‘Because you need to find a way home, and what better way to start than to travel the world? At least this way they can protect you as well, and help you in your search,’ he advised her, and Hermione nodded. It made sense at least. ‘Get yourself ready when they do, you will be leaving at noon,’ he told her. Hermione nodded and followed Cid back to where the three SeeD’s were watching them curiously.

Zell looked around, expecting there to be more SeeD’s joining them. ‘Sir, do you mean that just us three are going?’ he asked the Headmaster curiously.

Cid shook his head. ‘Miss Granger will be joining you. You’re to keep her safe and help her with anything she needs,’ he ordered them.

Hermione waved at them nervously, but her smile fell when she saw how annoyed Squall seemed by this new information. He crossed his arms and shook his head. Cid watched this exchange with surprise and interest. Having seen their dance the night before, he would have expected them both to be happy with this.

Cid shook his head and looked at them all. ‘Squall, you are the Squad Leader for this mission. Use your best judgement based on the situation. Zell and Selphie, you are to support Squall and give your all to carry out the Faction’s plans and keep Miss Granger safe,’ he ordered them, and the three saluted him. ‘Oh, and Squall, I forgot to give you this.’ Cid pulled out a lamp, like the ones which held a genie, and handed it to Squall who raised his eyebrows and looked at it in interest. ‘It's a cursed item, but if one with enough power uses it, it should be of great help,' he advised him, and Squall nodded, passing it to Selphie who put it in her bag. Cid smiled at them all. ‘Best of luck on your first mission,' he said, and they saluted again. The three SeeD's walked away to get ready, but Cid stopped Hermione. ‘Your room will always be yours. You can come back here anytime,' he told her, and Hermione smiled.

‘Thank you, Cid,' she said and leaned over to hug the man.

‘Just be safe, and take care. I know those three won’t let anything happen to you,’ Cid advised her, and she nodded.

Hermione took a deep breath and headed towards her room so she could get ready to leave at noon with the others. She wasn't sure she was liking the way this was turning out. This meant Hermione would be spending a lot of time with Squall, and if he was going to act this way for the duration of this journey, she would rather someone else help her. Besides, Hermione didn't need protecting; she could still use magic. Though, she hadn't tried since she got here.

Hermione reached her room and opened the door. She was about to close it, but pressure on the door stopped it, and she looked through the gap to see Squall. Hermione pulled the door back open, and Squall walked into the room, closing the door behind him. ‘Can I help you?’ Hermione asked, crossing her arms and frowning at him.

‘I want to know why you’re coming with us,’ Squall stated, leaning against the door.

‘Why does it matter to you? You have your orders, not that I like this any better than you,’ Hermione retorted, sitting down on her bed.

Squall sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't want to be harsh to Hermione, but he didn't want to become close to her either. He was going around in circles. He took the seat opposite her. ‘I just want to know what's going on,' he said finally after a few moments of tense silence.

Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself down and looked at him. ‘What do you want to know?' She asked him, readying herself for the multitude of questions he would probably ask. She wouldn't be surprised because she did appear out of nowhere.

Squall was surprised at how easy that was. He almost expected a fight, or she wouldn't open up so quickly. ‘For now, all I need to know is what I'm... we're protecting you from. What is your mission?' Squall asked, deciding if he needed more information he would ask when it was necessary.

Hermione closed her eyes because those were the questions she didn't know how to answer. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing either. ‘If I'm honest, I don't know,' Hermione said, shaking her head.

Squall nodded. ‘Fine,' he said in irritation and stood to leave.

Hermione stood as well. ‘Squall, I’m telling you the truth. I don’t know what my mission is yet. Cid just sprung this on me. I didn’t expect to leave until I knew what was going on,’ she told him, and he turned back to her. Squall could see the genuine confusion in her eyes. ‘I’m hoping that by travelling with you all, I’ll find out along the way,’ she finished, pleading for him to understand.

Squall sighed. ‘Right,' he said, looking away for a moment. _How can she not know her mission? I think she is telling the truth, but it just seems so suspicious._ Squall shook his thoughts away and looked back at her. ‘Best get ready; we leave soon. Meet me by the giant computer at noon,' he told her and left her room.

Hermione sat back down on her bed. She was stunned at how different Squall was being and couldn't understand why he was being so harsh to her again. It was like she was dealing with a completely different person. Hermione ran a shaky hand through her hair as tears welled in her eyes. She had a feeling this trip was not going to be a pleasant one.

oOoOo 

Squall shut his door, and leaned his head on it, closing his eyes. ‘What the hell is wrong with me?’ he muttered to himself.

Squall sighed and moved into his room to grab the things he would need. He picked up a long box and put it on the desk. He opened it, and inside lay a beautiful gunblade: Lionheart. The blade itself was a transparent gradient from dark blue at the edge to white near the middle. The frame of the gun was modelled with features incorporating a Revolver. On the side of the Revolver was a carved lion and it had a wing protrusion emerging from the top. It was modelled from rare, high-quality items which he hunted relentlessly for. It wasn't cheap, but as soon as Squall saw the beautiful blade, he knew he had to have it.

He pulled the blade from its box and the scabbard for it. He tied the casing onto his back and sheathed the sword. The weight was comforting.

Squall grabbed a bag, packing clothes and the cleaning stuff he used for his gunblade. Once he was ready, he left his room. At the same time, Hermione opened her door, and they stared at each other for a moment. Not breaking eye contact, Squall shut his door. ‘Are you ready?’ Squall asked her.

Hermione nodded and shouldered her bag. Without waiting for Squall, Hermione walked down the hall. She was still annoyed at him for the way he was acting. Squall watched her for a moment, before sighing and following her.

Hermione reached one of the benches in the main hall and sat down to wait for the others. Squall appeared a moment later and placed his bag on the seat next to her. ‘Hey, Squall!' Came a voice, and he turned to find Xu. ‘I heard you have your first mission already! It looks like they have high hopes for you,' she said, winking at him.

Hermione frowned, not knowing why the apparent flirtatious action irritated her. Squall never seemed to notice this, and he nodded. ‘Yeah, sounds like an easy job though. We should be back pretty quickly,' he answered, crossing his arms.

Xu nodded. ‘Well, I’ll look forward to your return, then,’ she answered, and Hermione rolled her eyes. Xu noticed her then, sitting on the bench. ‘Oh, Miss Granger, isn’t it? You’re going too?’ She asked her, looking at Hermione’s bag next to Squall’s on the bench.

‘Yeah, I am,’ Hermione answered, putting on a smile. She still wasn’t too happy about the circumstances.

‘Ah, well, good luck,’ Xu said, smiling at her. Hermione could tell the smile was fake, but she didn’t care. Xu looked back at Squall, giving him a winning smile and another wink before walking away. Squall didn’t pick up on any of this.

Squall turned back to Hermione and frowned when he realised something was bothering her. He opened his mouth to ask her what it was but stopped himself when Zell and Selphie appeared with Quistis in tow. ‘So, are we all ready?’ Selphie asked them, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Squall nodded and picked up his bag, and it was then that Hermione noticed the scabbard on his back holding a massive sword. She gulped, _what on earth does he need a weapon like that for?_ She wondered to herself. She decided she would wait and ask him later. Hermione shook her head and stood. ‘Yeah, let's get going,' she said, picking her bag up.

Quistis smiled at them. ‘I just came to see you all off,’ she told them when Squall looked at her questioningly. ‘Good luck on your first mission, and take care,’ she said, clasping her hands together.

‘Yeah, we’ll be fine! You watch out too, Instructor,’ Zell said, and Hermione noticed Quistis’ smile slip at the “Instructor” part. ‘You never know what that asshole Seifer is capable of,’ he added, punching a fist into his other hand.

‘He won’t do anything,’ Quistis said, shaking her head. ‘It’s not the first time he’s been disciplined for reckless behaviour,’ she told them.

Hermione watched the exchange in confusion and interest and made a note to ask them about it later once they were out of Balamb. She moved over to Quistis and hugged the older girl. ‘I hope we meet again, Quistis,' she said, before pulling away and smiling at her sadly.

Quistis frowned. ‘Of course, we will. You’re returning with these three once they’ve completed their mission, right?’ she asked her.

Hermione smiled, but it was forced. ‘Yeah, hopefully,’ she answered, and looked down at the ground.

Squall watched her and frowned. He could see Hermione was lying to Quistis and herself. She didn't believe she would be returning with them. _Why wouldn’t she return with us? Is something going to happen?_ Squall questioned in his mind, and he felt something twist in his stomach, like a tight knot. He had never felt anything like it, and it made him feel uncomfortable. ‘We should leave,' he said abruptly and walked towards the exit.

Quistis shook her head. ‘Don’t worry about him. He’s been like this since he was a kid,’ she said to them.

Hermione felt her shoulders slump; so, the way he acted at the dance was a fluke? If this was how he was going to respond on this entire trip, Hermione knew she was going to end up falling out with him.

Hermione, Zell, and Selphie said goodbye to Quistis and then hurried to catch up with Squall. He was waiting at the front gate, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. ‘Quite finished with your goodbyes?' Squall snapped before he could stop himself. He instantly regretted it.

Hermione glared at him. ‘What the hell is your problem?’ she growled, and stormed past him, not wanting or expecting an answer.

Zell and Selphie raised their eyebrows in surprise. They glanced at Squall, but there was nothing in his expression to show her outburst affected him in any way. They shared a look before following Hermione.

Squall closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ He asked himself, and then followed them out the gate towards the Garden car which was waiting for them.

oOoOo 

The four companions reached Balamb Town within ten minutes. Ten minutes of tense silence in the car where Hermione glared at the floor. Squall got out of the car first and made his way into town. The other three followed a little more slowly. ‘Wonder what's up with him?' Zell muttered, shaking his head.

‘He’s been moody all morning,’ Selphie answered, and Hermione saw the girl glance at her for a moment. Hermione didn't comment but wished he would just say if something was wrong or if they did something to annoy him.

Ahead of them, Squall stopped walking and waited at the Weapons Shop. He looked in the window, and carefully made his expression blank. He didn't want anyone to know how affected he was at Hermione's angry outburst. Usually, it wouldn't bother him, but something about her anger at him made him feel uncomfortable, and he didn't like it. Squall found he didn't want her to be angry with him.

‘Hey! Do you guys mind if I pop in and see my Ma for a minute? I don’t know when I’ll next see her,’ Zell asked, looking at the three of them.

‘I wouldn't mind seeing her again as well if that's okay?' Hermione said, wanting to thank Mrs Dincht again for her hospitality.

‘Sure! She’d love to see you again!’ Zell answered, and led her towards his home. Selphie sat on the bench to wait, while Squall leaned against the wall watching them go.

‘Ma! I’m home, and I have a visitor!’ he called as he walked into the house with Hermione in tow.

‘Hi, Zell!' Mrs Dincht called back, coming out of the kitchen. ‘Oh, Hermione! It's lovely to see you again,' she said, hugging the younger girl.

‘I wanted to thank you again for helping me out,’ Hermione answered, smiling at the older woman.

Mrs Dincht waved her thanks away. ‘No need, dear, I’m just happy to see you’re feeling better,’ she answered with a smile. ‘Are you off today, Zell?’ she asked her Son.

‘Nah, outdoor class,’ Zell answered, shaking his head. ‘We’re heading to Timber for our first SeeD mission,’ he explained, puffing out his chest proudly.

‘Well done! Well, take care of yourself,’ she told him sternly, and he nodded. ‘Drop by whenever you can. Even just to say hi,’ she added, giving him a tight hug.

‘I will, Ma,’ he answered, pulling away and kissing her on the cheek.

‘You too,’ she said to Hermione, affording her with another hug.

‘I will,' Hermione whispered and tried not to let tears come to her eyes. She would love to see Mrs Dincht again, but she didn't know if that would be possible.

‘We better go,’ Zell said, leading Hermione to the door. ‘Bye, Ma! See you soon,’ he said, opening the door.

‘Bye, take care!’ she called back.

Zell and Hermione met back up with Squall and Selphie. Squall noticed Hermione looked a bit down and frowned. ‘Everything alright?’ he asked, making it seem like it was directed at both Zell and Hermione.

‘Yeah! Thanks for waiting on us,’ Zell said happily.

Hermione just nodded without looking at Squall. She was worried about this trip and didn’t know what was going to happen. Steeling herself, she walked towards the train station knowing the other three would follow. Squall paused for a moment as he watched her go. _I wonder what’s wrong with her,_ he thought and decided he would ask her on the train. 

Squall followed them and walked over to the station staff. ‘The train to Timber is here. Please purchase a train ticket if you are boarding,' he said, getting out a ticket machine.

Squall pulled out some money from his pocket, and Hermione looked at the gold coins. She had been fascinated by the ones Mrs Dincht gave her for the taxi to Garden, and she was still curious about them.

Squall noticed this and raised his eyebrows. ‘Surely, you’ve seen money before,’ he said, handing the station staff the exact amount.

‘Yes, of course,’ Hermione muttered, moving away from him. She closed her eyes, realising she must have looked really stupid. Hermione would have to tell them she’s from a different world eventually. It would make things easier.

‘Here’s your ticket,’ the station staff said, handing it to Squall.

‘Come on,’ Squall muttered, and the four companions entered the train station.

They moved towards the train. ‘Please go inside right away. The train to Timber will be leaving shortly,’ another station staff member said.

The four companions entered the train, waiting for it to leave. Hermione leaned against the wall, looking out the window. Squall watched her, shaking his head a little to try and rid himself of his curiosity.

The train started, and moved out of the train station, heading into an underwater tunnel. ‘This train is awesome!’ Selphie exclaimed, breaking the tense silence.

‘Yeah, I’ve never been on a train which goes underwater,’ Hermione said, looking at the ocean floor where she could see fish swimming about.

‘A transcontinental railroad, baby!’ Zell said, punching his fist into his palm. He turned to Hermione. ‘It runs through an underwater tunnel to get to Timber,’ he added, and Hermione chose not to comment even though he stated the obvious. Zell looked at Squall. ‘Pretty cool, huh?’ he said, trying to get Squall to lighten up and join in.

It didn't work. ‘Sure is…' Squall muttered with a sigh and crossed his arms.

Zell's shoulders slumped. ‘Guess you're not interested,' he muttered, and Hermione felt sorry for him. He seemed to be one of those nice guys that everyone just walked all over. ‘By the way, Squall… You have to use the ticket to get inside,’ he added, pointing to the ticket in Squall’s hand.

Squall pushed off the wall and moved over to the panel, inserting the ticket into the slot. It beeped a few times before turning green. ‘Okay, we can go inside now,’ he told them, taking his ticket back.

Selphie made for the door. ‘I'm gonna go check out the front!' she said and disappeared through the door.

‘Let’s go check it out!’ Zell said to Hermione who nodded.

Hermione started to follow Zell through, but Squall's hand on her arm stopped her. She looked at him curiously. ‘We'll be through in a minute,' he said, and Zell nodded, leaving them to it.

‘Yes?' Hermione asked irritably, crossing her arms.

‘I just wanted to say sorry,’ Squall replied sheepishly, running a hand through his hair.

‘It’s fine,’ Hermione answered, and went to walk through the door, but Squall stopped her again. She frowned at him. ‘What is it?’ she asked, but her tone gentler.

‘Are you okay?' Squall asked, and Hermione felt like he was almost scrutinising her. ‘You just seem…' he trailed off and shook his head. ‘Never mind. It's none of my business,' he said, moving away from the door to let her pass him.

‘I’m just worried,’ Hermione answered, and his eyes shot back to her. ‘I still don’t know what my mission is, yet I’m going on this journey. I don’t know what’s going to happen,’ she answered, leaning against the wall.

Squall nodded, but he was not entirely convinced that was the only reason. He decided to let it go for now. Maybe Hermione would tell him one day. He concluded that she would probably only open up if he was kind to her though. Squall shook his head, knowing that might take a while. Hell, he may have to be careful with how he acted to everyone around her… and the thought made him shudder. He really wasn't a social person and didn't plan to be for information which may not even be relevant.

Hermione watched the array of emotions which flitted across Squall’s face. ‘You know, I can’t read minds,’ she told him, pulling him out of his thoughts.

‘Don’t worry about this journey. I’ll…’ Squall trailed off realising what he was about to say. ‘We’ll protect you,’ he corrected, looking away from her.

Hermione frowned, knowing what he was about to say, and she had to wonder why. She refrained from asking, in case he closed off. ‘Well, I promise to let you know what’s happening once I know,’ she said, and he nodded.

‘Let's go inside,' Squall muttered and walked through the door.

Hermione sighed and leaned back against the wall. _Griever?_ She called, wondering if he would answer and if she could talk to him at will.

_I am here,_ came the reply.

_What do you need me to do?_ Hermione asked him, hoping for some clarification.

There was a long pause, and Hermione wondered if he was even there anymore, but eventually, he answered, _I need you to destroy my Ring. I will tell you more soon, but for now, you just need to stick with Squall. Everything will fall into place. Do not tell him what you need to do, not yet._

_I have to tell him something,_ Hermione answered, getting frustrated with the creature for leaving her in the dark.

_Not yet,_ he said more forcefully, and Hermione backed down. The last thing she wanted was for Griever to be mad at her. _I could never be angry with you,_ he added, having read her thoughts. _Please, just do not say anything yet,_ he said, and she nodded.

Shaking her head, Hermione decided to follow Squall through the door as she knew they would be curious about where she was. She frowned wondering why Griever wanted her to destroy his Ring…


	7. Chapter Six: The Forest Owls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

_**Chapter Six: The Forest Owls** _

Hermione walked into the hallway, noticing Selphie standing looking out one of the windows. ‘I'll catch up!' she said, turning her gaze back to the window, and humming softly.

Hermione smiled at her and entered the cabin. Squall looked up at her curiously, and she guessed it was because she didn't immediately follow him. Hermione looked at Zell who was bouncing on the seat cushions excitedly, and she giggled. ‘Having fun, Zell?' she asked, shaking her head and taking a seat on one of the bunk beds.

Zell chuckled. ‘This is so cool!’ he answered, smiling at her.

Squall rolled his eyes, and leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. ‘I’m glad you’re so excited,’ he muttered, shaking his head.

Hermione frowned at him but chose not to comment. Zell stopped bouncing on the seats and sighed. ‘They even have magazines here,' he said, pointing to the stack of books on a table next to the bunk beds. ‘This is pretty damn amazing. It pays to be a member of SeeD!' Zell exclaimed, punching a hand into his palm.

‘Is this your first time away from Balamb, Zell?' Hermione asked him, ignoring the irritated glance Squall threw at her.

‘Yeah, but I know quite a bit about other places in the world,’ Zell answered, puffing out his chest proudly. ‘I may not look it, but I like to read a lot,’ he told her, a little embarrassed.

‘That's not a bad thing,' Hermione told him with a smile. ‘It's good to expand your knowledge, especially if you don't get a chance to travel all that often,' she told him, and he beamed at her.

‘I imagine we’ll be travelling quite a bit now. It was one of the reasons I wanted to become a SeeD,’ Zell answered thoughtfully. He looked at Squall. ‘You know anything about Timber, Squall?’ he asked him.

Squall sighed, and Hermione gritted her teeth. She was getting fed up with the way he was acting towards them. Squall sensed her ire and counted to ten. He didn't know why, but he sat forward and looked at Zell in interest, much to Hermione's surprise. ‘I don't, no. What do you know about it?' he asked him.

Zell opened and closed his mouth for a moment, having not expected Squall to care about it. Zell just found it awkward talking to Squall, so he tried to start conversations with him to break the ice. ‘Well, allow me to explain briefly. Timber used to be a country surrounded by deep forests. Then, eighteen years ago, Galbadia invaded,' Zell told them with a severe expression on his face.

‘What happened?' Hermione asked, leaning forward. She wanted to know everything about this world. It would make her journey more manageable, and Hermione would have so much to tell Harry and Ron when she returned. As this thought crossed her mind, her eyes saddened, and she frowned. This was not lost on Squall, and he looked at her curiously.

‘Timber is a small nation, so they fell quite easily to Galbadia. Now, they’re under Galbadian occupation. There are loads of resistance factions there striving for independence,' Zell finished proudly.

‘So, do you think they’ll ever get independence?’ Hermione asked, wondering if their mission had something to do with helping the resistance get independence.

‘Who knows,’ Zell answered, shaking his head. ‘They’ve been trying for eighteen years, and haven’t succeeded,’ he added pointedly, and Hermione nodded.

The three looked up when Selphie entered the cabin, holding her head. ‘I’m not… feeling well…’ she trailed off, slurring.

Hermione stood up from the bunk bed. ‘Here, lie down, Selphie,' she said, helping Selphie over to the bed where she collapsed onto it. Hermione felt her head; she was hot and clammy. ‘Get some rest, Selphie,' she said, and the girl fell asleep.

‘Hey!’ Zell shouted out making Squall and Hermione look at him. ‘What the—’ he cut himself off, holding his head. ‘Somethin’s wrong with me, too…’ he trailed off as he passed out on the seat.

‘What's happening?' Hermione asked, running over to Zell to see if he was okay. Squall shouted out, and Hermione ran to him. ‘Squall?' she cried, catching him as he collapsed onto the floor. ‘What on earth?' She muttered, shaking her head. Hermione looked around at the three sleeping SeeD's in panic and curiosity.

Hermione looked down at Squall and realised she was still holding him. She lay him down on the ground gently and kneeled at his side. She didn't know what to do and hoped they would wake up soon and there would be an explanation for what happened.

oOoOo

‘Next stop. Timber…’ a train announcement echoed through the train.

Hermione looked up at the speaker from where she was still kneeling next to Squall. An hour had passed since the three SeeD's collapsed suddenly, and she was starting to worry. Zell and Selphie groaned from behind her, and she stood to check if they were okay as they sat up looking confused.

Squall groaned from the ground, grabbing his head. Hermione took his arm, helping him stand. ‘Were we… all asleep?’ he asked, shaking his head.

‘You all collapsed. I didn't know what to do,' Hermione told him worriedly, still holding Squall's arm. She noticed this and moved away from him.

‘Maybe someone released some sleeping gas?’ Zell suggested, rubbing the back of his neck.

‘Would someone do that?’ Hermione asked with a frown.

‘Sure, there’s lots of people who resent SeeD,’ Zell said, shaking his head to wake himself up a bit more.

‘Am I missing anything? Anyone hurt?’ Selphie asked, looking at everyone in turn.

‘I don’t think so,’ Squall answered, shaking his head.

‘What a relief,’ Selphie said, sitting down on the seat.

Squall looked at Hermione, and what she said when they woke up came back to him. Squall frowned, crossing his arms. ‘It wasn't sleeping gas,' he muttered, and the other three looked at him. ‘Hermione wasn't affected,' he explained, gesturing to her.

‘That’s true,’ Hermione answered, wondering what was going on. ‘Do any of you feel strange? Maybe someone spiked you before we left?’ she suggested, looking at them.

Squall nodded thoughtfully. ‘Maybe,’ he muttered, shaking his head.

‘I had such a nice dream, so I’m not complaining,’ Selphie said, smiling to herself.

Squall crossed his arms. _I had a dream, too. It wasn’t nice though… I dreamt I was a moron…_ he trailed off in his musings as the train announced they would be arriving at Timber soon.

Squall tuned back into Selphie who was telling Hermione all about her dream. ‘But seriously, Sir Laguna was so cool!' she exclaimed, and Hermione giggled.

Zell perked up then. ‘Hey! There was a Laguna in my dream, too! He’s a Galbadian soldier, right?’ he asked Selphie who nodded at him in confusion.

‘How…?' Hermione trailed off, looking at Squall who was a little wide-eyed at their revelation.

‘Laguna, Kiros, and Ward…’ Squall whispered, looking at Zell and Selphie.

‘How can you all have the same dream?’ Hermione asked them, looking at the three of them in shock.

Squall shook his head. ‘I don’t know. I don’t like this,’ he muttered, crossing his arms.

‘There's no way we can understand this for the moment. Let's just concentrate on our first mission!' Selphie said, and the others agreed.

‘We'll put this incident on hold. I'll report it to the Headmaster once we get back to Garden,' Squall said, and they all nodded.

Hermione was surprised at how quickly they could put something like this on hold. If she had the same dreams as Harry and Ron, she would be freaking out and spending all her time trying to find out why.

‘We should be there soon, eh?' Zell stated rather than asked and punched his hand into his palm as the tell-tale ding announcing the arrival at Timber echoed throughout the train. ‘Here we go! Psyche yourself up, baby!' Zell exclaimed and left the cabin.

‘Whew… still sleepy,’ Selphie said, following Zell.

‘Should you be ignoring this dream you guys had?’ Hermione asked Squall worriedly.

Squall shrugged. ‘It's disconcerting, but we can't do anything about it for now,' he answered, looking over at Hermione. ‘If it happens again, then I'll worry about it,' he added, shaking his head.

Hermione nodded and came to stand next to him. ‘We better go,' she said, and he nodded, watching her leave.

Squall stood for a moment, hand on his hip, as he thought about what happened. He almost felt bad for Hermione because she couldn’t have had any idea what was happening to them. Squall shook away his thoughts and followed her out of the train.

They watched the train leave the station, and made their way down the steps. A young man in a yellow body-warmer, green trousers, and a blue hat—quite the contrast—came running up to them. He saluted them, startling the four companions. ‘The forests of Timber sure have changed!’ he said, and it dawned on them that this guy is their contact.

Squall tried to remember the password and opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione beat him to it. ‘But the Owls are still around,' she said, and the young man grinned at her.

‘Welcome to Timber, sir! Come with me, sir!' he said politely, and they followed him towards another train stop. ‘Please, please, this way, sir!' he called to them and gestured for them to wait on the platform.

‘He’s very polite for a resistance member,’ Hermione whispered, and Zell nodded, rolling his eyes at the guy. The contact then proceeded to stand on the train tracks, signalling to the oncoming train. ‘What’s he doing!?’ Hermione shouted out, grasping for her wand.

‘Ahhhh! Look out!’ the guys screamed, falling onto the tracks as the train still bounded along quickly.

Hermione shot a spell at the train, stopping it in its tracks, and it came to a screeching halt. Squall, Zell, and Selphie stared at her in disbelief and… was that fear she saw in their eyes? Hermione lowered her wand and tucked it back into her pocket. ‘I…' she trailed off, not knowing what to tell them.

‘You’re a Sorceress?’ Squall asked her, frowning at her.

‘Yes, but if you let me explain—’ she was cut off.

‘The Headmaster sent us away with a Sorceress!' Zell was shouting and pointing at Hermione in fear while backing away from her.

Hermione's face fell, and her shoulders slumped sadly. Squall noticed this and looked at Zell. ‘Zell, calm down,' he said, glancing at Hermione to see her eyes glistening.

Zell started pacing. ‘What the hell was he thinking!? She could be dangerous!’ he shouted, throwing his arms up in the air.

‘Zell!’ Squall raised his voice in warning, getting angrier when a tear escaped Hermione’s eye and rolled down her cheek.

‘You might kill us all!?’ Zell shouted at her, pointing his finger. He lowered it, and his eyes widened when he saw the tears falling from her eyes.

It was too late though, Squall pulled his arm back and punched Zell in the face, causing the blond to fall onto his backside. ‘We don’t know that! Don’t judge her until she’s at least told us everything!’ Squall shouted, rubbing his fist. Zell’s face was like hitting a brick wall.

Hermione shook her head. ‘It's okay. Cid warned me about how people would react if I revealed what I am. I just couldn't let that guy kill himself,' she answered, pointing to the guy who was now being shouted at by someone who had come running off the train. ‘If you want me to leave…' Hermione trailed off and lowered her head further.

Squall reached over, placing a hand under to chin to make her look at him. This shocked Hermione, as she didn’t think Squall was one for physical contact. Though they had danced together only the night before. It felt like an age ago already. ‘We’ll talk about this later,’ Squall said to her, leaving no room for argument and Hermione nodded sadly.

Another guy wearing a blue jacket and black knee-length shorts came over to them, followed slowly by the guy who greeted them initially. ‘Sorry for my friend. Please, this way,' he said, gesturing for them to get on the train. They entered the train followed by the blue-clad guy and the password guy. The train door closed behind them, and it started back up, making them all stumble a little. ‘So, you guys are SeeD’s? I was under the impression there would only be three of you,’ he said, eyeing Hermione who was leaning against the wall.

Squall nodded. ‘This is Hermione. We are under contract to protect her. It’s part of a separate mission we are on,’ he explained, receiving a nod from the guy. ‘I’m the Squad Leader, Squall. This is Zell…’ he said, pointing to Zell who was to his right looking shame-faced. _Good, he should,_ Squall thought, before continuing, ‘And Selphie,’ he said, gesturing to his left where Selphie was standing next to Hermione rubbing her back in comfort. _At least Selphie isn’t scared of her,_ Squall mused, before turning back to the guy.

‘Nice to meet ya! I'm Zone, the Leader of the Forest Owls,' he said, reaching out to shake Squall's hand. Squall nodded but didn't take his hand. Seeing this, Zone moved on and shook Selphie and Hermione's hands instead. He moved back to the front, and Zell cleaned his hand, holding it out, but Zone ignored it.

‘So, let’s get on with it. What do we do?’ Squall asked, raising an eyebrow at Zell’s outstretched hand. Seeing that, yet again, nobody will shake his hand, Zell began to throw feign swings for a moment, before sitting on the stairs. Squall shook his head, turning his focus back to the matter at hand. He did notice for a moment that Zell rubbed his jaw which was already sporting a bruise, and he looked over at Hermione with regret.

Zone shook his head. ‘Just take it easy,’ he said, gesturing to his companion. ‘Looks like you already met Watts. I guess it’s just our princess then,’ he said thoughtfully, looking towards the stairs Zell was sitting on.

Watts took on a look of fear. ‘It’s the princess’s nap time, sir,’ he said.

‘Ahh man…' Zone said, tapping his finger to his chin as he thought about what to do. He looked over at Squall and smiled. ‘Hey, Squall, sorry, but could you get the princess?' he asked, and Squall sighed in irritation. ‘She's in the last room, up those stairs. Some of our other guys are in the room on the way. Ask them if you get lost,' Zone explained, thinking his plan was genius.

Squall rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. ‘Were we hired to run errands?’ he retorted, not at all happy about running after people. ‘Well?’ he prodded.

Zone help up his hands. ‘A-Are you angry!?’ he asked, backing away from Squall.

Squall rubbed his eyes tiredly, _we’re not gophers… We’re SeeD… Special Forces,_ he thought, crossing his arms and giving Zone a hard look. ‘This is the last time for this kind of thing,' he muttered, turning in the direction of the “princess’s” room. As he reached the top of the stairs, Squall glanced back at Hermione who was frowning at him, and he wondered why. He shook it off and headed down the corridor.

‘Squall should have told them to get lost,’ Selphie muttered, leaning against the window and looking out at the scenery they were speeding past.

Zell came over to stand with them. ‘I’m sorry about earlier, Hermione. We were raised on stories of evil Sorceresses, and… I shouldn’t have jumped the gun,’ he said sheepishly, lowering his head.

Hermione let a small smile touch her lips. ‘It’s okay, Zell, I understand. Cid warned me, so I should have expected it at some point,’ she told him, and he raised his eyes to meet hers.

‘Even if you are one, I don’t get an evil vibe from you,’ Zell said, smiling at her.

‘That’s good to know,’ Hermione answered, shaking her head, and feeling much better. She knew they would be scared, but she would just have to make sure none of them got hurt by her magic.

‘These guys don’t seem to have it together,’ Zell said, shaking his head and gesturing to Zone and Watts. Zone was crouching on the ground, holding his gut and moaning probably due to motion sickness, while Watts was leaning against a wall smiling at nothing.

‘They do seem like a dysfunctional crew,’ Hermione mused with a chuckle. Her eyes moved back to the stairs where Squall disappeared, wondering who this “princess” was, and why he was taking so long…

oOoOo

Squall managed to find the room without too much issue. He entered the room, and the train came to a stop, waking the “princess”. When he recognised the girl, Squall almost walked back out, but bit the side of his mouth knowing he couldn’t. He had a mission to complete.

The girl looked over at him. ‘Hey, you’re… you know, from the party,’ she said, standing up. ‘Does that mean you’re a SeeD?’ she asked him.

Squall nodded. ‘I’m Squall, the Squad Leader. There’s two others with me, and another we’re protecting,’ he answered.

Squall was startled when she ran over and hugged him. ‘YES! SeeD is here!’ she shouted out, and Squall pushed her away from him in irritation.

‘Take it easy,’ he said, shaking his head.

She smiled, walking over to a dresser. ‘It’s just that, I’m so happy!’ she exclaimed, and Squall rolled his eyes behind her back. ‘I’ve been sending requests to Garden forever, but nothing…’ she trailed off sadly, but then her smile returned full force as she turned back to him. ‘I’m so glad I spoke to Cid directly!’ she added excitedly.

‘Ah, so that’s why you were at the party. You were looking for the Headmaster,’ Squall mused, crossing his arms.

‘You know Seifer?’ she asked him.

Squall nodded; _unfortunately,_ he thought, but refrained from actually saying it. ‘Yeah, I know him…’ he said nonchalantly.

‘Well, he’s the one who introduced me to Cid,’ she told him, her eyes gleaming. ‘Cid is such a nice man. I didn’t think SeeD would come out to help a measly group like us, but after explaining our situation, Cid gave the go ahead right away!’ she said with a giggle, and Squall had to fight back pinching his nose in irritation. ‘Now that you guys are here, we’ll be able to carry out all kinds of plans!’ she chirped, clasping her hands in front of her.

‘Yeah, I'm going back to the others,' Squall said, turning to leave. He missed the smile on her face dropping at his sudden announcement and lack of enthusiasm.

‘Um… okay, let’s go,’ she said, the excitement from her voice gone. She walked ahead of him, stopping at the door. She turned back to him. ‘Squall, is “he” here?’ she asked curiously.

‘He?’ Squall asked, raising his eyebrow.

‘Seifer,’ she answered.

Squall shook his head. ‘No, he’s not a SeeD,’ he answered. Squall went to walk past her, but a dog entered and sat next to Rinoa who was still blocking his escape. Squall clenched his fists; he just wanted to get back to the others.

‘Oh well…' she trailed off sadly, shaking her head. ‘Oh yeah, my name's Rinoa. Very pleased to meet you, Squall,' she said, reaching out her hand to shake his. Squall looked at her hand, crossing his arms, and raised his eyebrows. She pulled her hand back with a sigh. ‘So, why did you refuse to dance with me at the ball? I gather SeeD members dance quite well,' Rinoa said, looking at her nails as if his rejection hadn’t fazed her.

_Seriously, get a grip,_ Squall thought, shaking his head. ‘I wasn’t in the mood,’ he said, shrugging.

‘Yet, you danced with someone else five minutes later,’ Rinoa said, looking at him.

_Does this matter?_ ‘Headmaster’s orders. She’s a client,’ he lied, not feeling the need to tell her that he wanted to dance with Hermione and not her.

‘Oh, fair enough. I didn't realise it was work-related,' Rinoa answered, but something in her tone made him think she didn't believe him. ‘I didn't think dancing with a client should be so… intimate,' she said, raising her eyebrows at him.

Squall gritted his teeth, _what the hell, is she judging me?_ He fumed in his mind and was about to say something, but he was saved when she noticed the dog sitting at her feet.

Rinoa knelt to stroke the dog. ‘Oh, well, it’s none of my business,’ she said, but she didn’t sound happy at all about this.

_Damn straight it’s none of your business!_ Squall thought, crossing his arms angrily, his eyes flashing.

‘This is Angelo, my partner,’ Rinoa said, stroking Angelo’s chin. ‘I have some important work to do now. Be good, Angelo,’ she cooed, receiving a bark from Angelo. Rinoa stood, and walked out the door. ‘I’ll meet you there!’ she called back to him.

Squall was left fuming in her wake, _how dare she question me like that! She doesn’t even know me,_ he thought, clenching his fists. Squall counted to ten and pinched the bridge of his nose, _I need to calm down. I’m working for this girl, I can’t let my anger get the best of me,_ he thought, taking a deep breath and walking out the door. _This is going to be a long day… I just hope we finish this mission soon,_ he thought, walking back down the corridor to meet up with the others.

oOoOo

Hermione looked up to see a girl walk down the stairs, and instantly recognised her as the girl who tried to get Squall to dance with her. Hermione turned to look at Zell's face which turned bright red, and she couldn't help sniggering. Zell nudged her in the side, earning another giggle from her.

‘I'm Rinoa, pleased to meet you all,' the girl said, stopping next to them. Her eyes stopped on Hermione for a moment, and she realised who she was. Rinoa then looked at Zell and smiled at him. ‘Nice to meet you again, Zell,' she said, leaning forward.

‘Hey,’ Zell muttered in embarrassment.

‘I’m Selphie, and this is Hermione,’ Selphie said, shaking Rinoa’s hand.

‘Ah, your… client,’ Rinoa said, looking at Hermione with a slight glare.

_What’s her problem?_ Hermione thought, frowning at Rinoa as she turned her back to them. Hermione looked up at the stairs to see Squall coming down them.

Squall came over to them. ‘I see you’ve met everyone,’ he said to Rinoa, crossing his arms.

Rinoa turned to him. ‘Yes,' she said, giving him a smile which would melt even the hardest of hearts. Hermione didn't know why, but this annoyed her, and she had a feeling she was not going to like this Rinoa. ‘This way,' Rinoa said, walking off to the room next to the stairs.

‘She’s going to be a handful,’ Hermione muttered, watching the others follow her.

Squall stopped, looking back at her. ‘Yeah, but we don't have a choice. We just have to help them with their mission, and then we can go back to Garden,' he said, and Hermione nodded. ‘Come on,' Squall said and led her through the door.

 


	8. Chapter Seven: Every Rose has its Thorn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.
> 
> A/N: Hey guys, I hope you're enjoying this story. Just for the record, I thought I would point out that I don't like Rinoa all that much. I've never been much a fan of hers. The way this story is going to come together requires Rinoa to be portrayed as a bad person.
> 
> So, now I’ve mentioned that, please enjoy this next chapter :)

_**Chapter Seven: Every Rose has its Thorn** _

Hermione followed Squall into the room, but she was immediately sent a scornful scowl from Rinoa. ‘Sorry, sweetheart, but this is a meeting for SeeD members only. So, if you would,’ Rinoa said in a nauseatingly sweet voice, which made Hermione want to gag. Rinoa waved towards the door, a sardonic sneer on her face.

Hermione exhaled and turned to leave. She wasn't about to get into a fight with this girl, namely because she didn't think it was worth it. Hermione already deduced the reason why Rinoa was a bitch towards her was that it looked like Squall rejected dancing with her in favour of Hermione. Now, Rinoa held a petty, resentful grudge against her.

_Bloody hell, she can have Squall! Doesn't bother me!_ Hermione thought heatedly.

_That would be horrifying,_ came Griever’s voice, and Hermione almost sniggered out loud at the repugnance in his tone.

_I don’t know. I think they would suit each other. Squall can be just as harsh,_ Hermione pondered.

_Squall’s just a seventeen-year-old who does not know what he wants yet. Give him time. You have known him for less than a week,_ Griever reasoned, and Hermione nodded inwardly at this.

_Why is my getting to know Squall so vital to you?_ Hermione thought abruptly. It was true; Griever seemed almost to be egging her on when it came to Squall. When she received no reply, she frowned. _Griever?_ She thought, but silence was her only answer.

Hermione shook out of her thoughts and opened the door to the corridor, but a hand on her arm stopped her from going through it. ‘Hermione stays with us,' Squall growled, his eyes flashing dangerously at Rinoa.

‘She's not a SeeD and not part of this mission,' Rinoa said, crossing her arms. ‘What benefit does she have of staying to listen?' Rinoa reasoned, sending a glare at Hermione.

‘It doesn't matter. We have a mission to protect Hermione, so she needs to stay with us,' Squall maintained.

Hermione shook her head, still aware of Squall's grip on her arm. ‘It's okay, Squall,' she said, gently shrugging him off. ‘I'll wait outside,' Hermione whispered and left the room.

Rinoa smirked in triumph, missed wholly by Hermione, but she carefully schooled her features when Squall turned back to her. Squall moved over to the corner, and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. Squall didn't know what Rinoa's problem with Hermione was, but he was adamant about getting this mission done as fast as possible.

Squall glanced over at Zone and Watts, waiting for them to speak, but observed they were looking at Rinoa in confusion. Apparently, they weren't used to Rinoa being so aggressive towards anyone. Squall found this to be somewhat interesting, but he shook his head and listened as they went through the mission briefing.

oOoOo

Hermione sat down on the stairs outside the meeting room, and leaned her elbows on her knees, her arms supporting her head. The only reason she left was that she didn't want to cause any complications for Squall, Zell, and Selphie on their mission. No doubt Rinoa would send a scathing report back to the Headmaster if she didn't get her way, so Hermione held her tongue. Hermione groaned, crossing her arms as she speculated just what she did to make the dark-haired girl instantly hate her.

It didn't make sense.

The only thing Hermione could think of was the dance, and when Rinoa felt the sting of rejection. In fact, when Hermione was dancing with Squall, she remembered seeing Rinoa watching them, but she didn't look annoyed at the time.

So, what changed?

Hermione shook her head and decided not to dwell on it. It wasn't worth her time, but her patience was wearing thin. With any luck, this mission would be over with soon, and she would never have to deal with her again.

_Griever?_ Hermione called her silent guardian but received no response again. _Why is he so quiet? Has something happened?_ This thought made her stomach clench, and she hoped the poor creature was okay.

oOoOo

Centuries into the future from where Hermione was musing about Griever, a stunning woman, with long white hair and wearing eccentric clothing, sat upon a throne staring at the creature before her. ‘Where have you been?’ she queried softly, but the beast could tell she was fuming.

‘Nowhere, Mistress,’ he replied with dread in his voice.

The woman stood and circled him like a predator would circle their prey. ‘Oh? Then enlighten me as to why you did not come when I bade,' she said, stopping next to him. In her hand was a staff worn with age. The creature eyed it with terror, recalling the tremendous amount of agony she had imposed on him with it throughout the years.

‘I am sorry, Mistress Ultimecia. I was fighting SeeD's, as you ordered,' he countered, thinking rapidly to evade any more torture.

The woman, Ultimecia, stopped in front of him and eyed him with something akin to revulsion. The creature bowed his head dejectedly, remembering a time when those eyes used to look at him with love. He shook his memories away; this was not the time.

‘You are lying,' Ultimecia said, looking at her sharp nails disinterestedly. She turned her brown eyes back to Griever and placed her hand under his chin. Ultimecia stared into his azure eyes, and he couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking. Did she remember anything? Or was she ultimately lost to him after all the years of torment and pain she put herself through, only to become this…

An embodiment of evil.

‘I would never lie to you, Mistress,’ he alleged, looking her dead in the eyes. He found lying to Ultimecia had become much easier as of late. Perhaps it was because he had more to protect now.

Ultimecia narrowed her eyes. ‘Oh, I think you would, Griever,’ she said, tilting her head and her eyes flashed furiously.

Griever gulped sharply, knowing what was about to come. He braced himself, waiting for the pain, but nothing happened. When he looked up, Ultimecia was twirling her staff in her hand with a thoughtful, almost haunted, expression on her face. Suddenly, she shook her head, and the gleam of malice which glowed in her eyes came back.

Griever found himself writhing on the ground in pain, and Ultimecia’s laugh reverberated about the castle walls like they were mocking him. Another spell hit him, and cuts and slashes appeared all over his body, spraying blood all across the floor. Ultimecia was unexpectedly beside him. ‘If you lie to me again, you will pay for it with your life,’ she threatened, before sending another spell at him and his shrieks could be heard in all corners of the wretched castle.

oOoOo

Hermione felt her eyes drooping, and she sighed in boredom. What was taking them so long? She clutched the railing when the train sprung to life and started moving again. Hermione looked up when the door opened, and Rinoa came out, almost running into her. ‘Oh!’ Rinoa said, stopping herself. ‘I didn’t see you there,’ she murmured, before making her way up the stairs.

Hermione raised her eyebrows, comprehending she hadn’t spoken to her with loathing and she pondered if it was just a front she was putting on in front of the others to act tough. Maybe so, but Hermione was adamant she wasn’t about to let Rinoa get to her. If she didn’t rise to it, Rinoa would be the one left looking like an idiot.

Hermione stood when Squall, Zell, and Selphie made their way out of the briefing room. They moved over to her. ‘You okay, Hermione?’ Zell asked her, and Hermione nodded. ‘That was bang out of order the way she spoke to you,’ Zell said, shaking his head.

‘Yeah, you should have said something!’ Selphie said, placing her hands on her hips. ‘I wouldn’t have let her get away with speaking to me like that!’ she added, shaking her head.

‘It’s fine,’ Hermione answered, not really wanting to debate this right now.

‘Not it’s not,’ Squall said, leaning against the wall, and observing her with a frown.

Hermione shook her head. ‘Please, it doesn’t matter,’ she said, more convincingly and decided to change the topic. ‘So, how did your meeting go? Anything interesting?’ she asked instead.

‘We’re snatching the President,’ Selphie responded enthusiastically, and Hermione gaped at her in bafflement.

‘Is that really something to get excited about?’ Hermione questioned, not particularly wanting to be part of this.

‘President Deling is a bastard who has caused our resistance nothing but grief,' Rinoa countered as she strode down the stairs. Hermione saw Squall shove off the wall, and he came to stand next to her, watching Rinoa with guarded eyes. Hermione frowned at him but didn't comment. Rinoa sighed. ‘We just want to talk to him without his soldiers around,' she said, sitting on the stairs.

‘I see,’ Hermione answered, looking away from Rinoa. She had to admit she was a bit dubious as to why the girl was suddenly speaking to her normally.

Rinoa stood and strolled over to her. ‘You know, I’ve changed my mind. Why don’t you come with us when we interrogate him?’ Rinoa asked her, and Hermione frowned at her.

‘Why the sudden change of heart?’ Hermione queried before she could stop herself.

‘I feel… bad for what I said earlier,' Rinoa replied with a shrug. She looked like she was genuine, but her eyes told an entirely different story, and Hermione wondered what she was planning. Rinoa didn't wait for a response and left to speak to Watts about the mission.

Hermione watched her go with a frown, feeling a hand take her arm, and she looked at Squall who seemed equally as apprehensive of Rinoa's change of heart. ‘Will you be okay for now? We still need to kidnap the President before anything else,' Squall said, and Hermione frowned at him.

‘I thought he was already captured,’ Hermione said, shaking her head.

‘Nope, we’re going to be helping with that,’ Zell said, hurling feign blows to their right.

‘I’d rather you stayed inside the train. You’ll be safer here,’ Squall said, looking down at her.

‘“Inside the train”? What do you mean by that?’ Hermione questioned, hoping they didn’t mean what she thought they meant.

‘We’ll be running around up on top of the cars, detaching trains, and stuff,’ Selphie answered, and Hermione’s eyes widened.

Hermione turned back to Squall. ‘Isn’t that dangerous?’ she asked him, feeling his hand squeeze her arm a little as if he was trying to calm her. Hermione wasn’t even sure if Squall grasped he was still holding her arm. ‘What if something happens? What if one of you falls off?’ Hermione stated, the questions flowing from her mouth rapidly.

Squall rolled his eyes, and pulled his hand away, crossing his arms. ‘We’ll be fine,’ he muttered, but frankly, he was concerned about this mission as well.

‘It’s time!’ Rinoa said, coming back out of the briefing room.

Hermione turned back to them, shaking her head in scepticism of what they were about to do. ‘Good luck, I guess,’ she muttered, shrugging.

‘We’ll be back in no time!’ Selphie said, running up the stairs towards the exit they were going out to get on top of the train.

‘See ya!’ Zell called to her, waving as he trailed after Selphie.

‘Ready?' Rinoa said to Squall as she came over to them. Squall nodded and looked at Hermione for a few moments before following them. ‘We'll be back shortly,' Rinoa said and went after them.

‘Sure,’ Hermione mumbled, sitting back down on the stairs to wait for them to come back.

oOoOo

Hermione was becoming nervous and fidgety. It felt like hours had passed when it had only been ten minutes. Hermione shook her head and moved into the control room to sit with the members of the Forest Owls in the hopes she wouldn't feel so jaded.

Hermione gripped onto her seat when the train shuddered, the sound of screeching metal reaching her ears. ‘What’s going on?’ she inquired, taking her hands away from her ears.

‘We've just disconnected our train from theirs. Mission success,' the train controller answered with a broad smile.

‘Oh, thank god,' Hermione muttered, moving out of the room and seeing Zell and Selphie walking down the corridor towards her. Their clothes were covered in oil. ‘Everything okay?' Hermione asked them, receiving disgruntled nods in return. Even Selphie wasn't as cheerful. ‘Where's Squall?' she questioned, perceiving the SeeD Leader was absent.

Zell pointed up. ‘Still up on top with little miss princess. Said she wanted to talk to him,' he answered, shaking his head.

Hermione frowned, looking down the hallway as Zell and Selphie grabbed a change of clothes and made for the showers. After a few minutes, Squall came down the hall looking cross, and a very-pleased-looking Rinoa followed him. Squall stormed straight past Hermione and grabbed a change of clothes before making his way to clean up, without saying a word.

Hermione looked at Rinoa, wondering what she said to Squall to make her so delighted with herself. Rinoa raised her eyebrows at her, before making her way down to her room. Hermione glared at her back and sat on the stairs. _What’s going on?_ She thought, looking down the hallway.

oOoOo

Later, Hermione found herself leaning against the wall feeling awkward and unwelcome. The tension blanketing the air was thick enough to cut. Even Zell and Selphie had barely said anything to her. Squall was leaning against the wall opposite Hermione with his arms crossed, and he hadn’t once looked up since he arrived back from cleaning up. _What happened up there? Why was Rinoa so pleased with herself?_

‘Finally, we've waited so long for this encounter with Vinzer,’ Zone said proudly, giving everyone smiles.

Watts turned to Squall. ‘Was that perfect, sir!? Amazing, sir! You're the best, sir!’ he exclaimed, and Squall rolled his eyes at his enthusiasm.

‘Well then...’ Rinoa said as she came down the stairs, and Hermione noticed Squall’s eyes narrow at her before looking away. Hermione noticed Rinoa shrug, a small smile on her lips as she sauntered into the middle of the room. ‘When you’re ready, I’ll begin _serious_ negotiations with the President,’ Rinoa said, looking at Squall who pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

When Rinoa disappeared into the briefing room, Squall, Zell, and Selphie seemed to breathe sighs of relief, and Hermione assumed the reason for their tension was because of Rinoa. _How hard was she on them up there?_ Hermione wondered, and she watched Squall push off the wall and walk over to her. ‘Hey,' Hermione said, frowning at him, and he nodded in response.

Squall leaned against the wall next to her, but he was facing her. ‘It was rough,’ he murmured, rubbing a hand to his temples to ease the headache building there.

‘What happened, Squall?’ Hermione asked, unable to keep the irritation from her tone.

This made Squall look up at her, and he sighed. ‘She keeps making all these demands. She takes great offence if we treat you like a friend, and not just a client, in front of her,’ Squall said, lowering his eyes to the floor, and kicking a pebble.

Hermione let out a bitter laugh and turned away from him. ‘Oh, so she can be your friend, but I can't? Is that how it is now?' she fumed, shaking her head. _The fucking audacity of that stupid wench! I’m going to wring her neck when I see her!_ Hermione thought angrily and pelted the pebble Squall was playing with across the room.

Squall baulked. ‘Hermione,’ he whispered, and she turned to look at him. The fury in her eyes made him take a step back. ‘I told her to go to hell,’ Squall said, and Hermione ogled at him, not quite registering what he said for a few moments.

Hermione blinked, and then it clicked. ‘Really? You said that?' Hermione asked, and she couldn't help the grin the crept onto her lips.

‘Well, not exactly in those words, but she knew what I was implying,' Squall answered with a shrug.

Hermione's smile wavered a little, and she turned back to face him. ‘Why was she so happy?' she questioned, glancing around the room to make sure she wasn't around.

‘She’s acting. She was really pissed off when we came back onto the train. I think she was making herself look superior to get to you,’ Squall replied, shaking his head. ‘I just don’t know what her glitch is. I’ll never understand women,’ he muttered, turning so his back was against the wall.

‘Gee, thanks,’ Hermione said cynically, watching his lips twitch which was the closest thing she would get to a smile.

Zell and Selphie made their way over then. ‘I’m glad that’s over with,’ Zell said, stretching.

‘Yeah, Rinoa was pretty nasty,’ Selphie said, her typical bubbly countenance was missing.

‘One wrong move and she whacked us on the back of the head,' Zell said, rubbing the back of his head.

Hermione frowned and looked at Squall. ‘Seriously?' she asked him, receiving a nod in return. ‘What's her problem?' she murmured more to herself than to them.

Before any of them could respond, Rinoa appeared from the briefing room and walked over to them. ‘Let's go,' she said and entered the room to their right. The four companions followed, and Rinoa ambled up to a man sitting in one of the seats. ‘President Deling!’ Rinoa said, sounding poised. ‘As long as you... don't resist, you won't get hurt...' she said, her voice hesitating a little.

A low, guttural laugh escaped from the President, and he turned to look at her. ‘And if I do resist... what would you do? Young lady?’ he queried, and Rinoa took a step back in fright.

‘What is it?’ Hermione asked her, but Rinoa’s eyes were fixed on President Deling in dread.

‘Boo-hoo… too bad,' he said with a laugh. President Deling stood and faced them. It was apparent to them now that something wasn't right. His face was twisted like he wasn't entirely human. ‘I'm not the President. I'm what they call... a body double,’ he told them, and Rinoa backed away further until she was just behind Hermione. ‘All these rumours about the many resistance groups in Timber... You pass along false information, and they fall for it. How pathetic. It seems like there are only amateurs around here,’ he said, laughing again.

‘Amateurs!?’ Rinoa answered in surprise.

The fake President recoiled and roared as he clutched his back. ‘Ahh... my butt hurts from all this sitting... young...LADY...' he screeched, lashing out with his arms. ‘Ahh... so what did you have in stORE for me had I resiSTED...? Why doN'T you teLL mE...’ he bellowed at her, moving closer to them. ‘QuiTE aMUsing thouGH...For beING such anAtEurs...!!! HoW daRe YOU InSUlt tHe presIDent!!!' he shouted and tried to grab Rinoa, but she shoved Hermione towards him instead. The fake President seized Hermione, who fought to get free.

‘What the hell, Rinoa!’ Squall yelled, unsheathing his gunblade.

Selphie tried to grab Rinoa as she ran out of the room, but the dark-haired girl snatched her arm away. ‘Rinoa!’ Selphie hollered after the bolting girl, but it was too late.

‘You...fEll...For...iT!’ the fake President said in delight.

He attacked Hermione with his hands and mouth, causing a painful shriek to erupt from her as lacerations appeared all over her neck and face. He threw her across the room like she was a mere rag-doll.

‘Hermione!’ Squall cried, running towards her, but the fake President protracted his arm and knocked Squall back. ‘What the hell!?’ Squall said, grasping his arm which had a slash in it.

‘aMusINg... tHIs iS AmuSinG!' the fake President said, and abruptly he started glowing. His whole body distorted like he was having a fit, and smoke vented from him. When the smoke cleared, in his place stood a horrific undead monster.

‘Shit!’ Zell yelled as the creature spewed an acid substance towards him. He dodged it, but only barely, and watched as the floor of the car started disintegrating.

Squall looked back towards Hermione as she tried to get to her feet, and pointed her wand at the creature. ‘Incarcerous!' she cried, and thick chains came from her wand, wrapping around the beast.

It let out a screech, trying to get out of the chains, but they were too tight. This gave them some time and allowed Squall, Zell, and Selphie to move in and attack with their weapons without its arms stopping them.

Squall slashed at it with his gunblade and noticed Hermione fall to her knees. ‘Hermione!' Squall shouted, but she just shook her head at him.

Zell moved in beside Squall, punching the monster in the face a few times, and then dropkicked it in the stomach. Selphie ran in with her nunchaku and the chain wrapped around its neck. Zell grabbed the handles as well, and with the force of both of them the monsters head ripped clean off and rolled onto the floor.

They sheathed their weapons and ran over to Hermione who was trying to stand, but the gashes in her legs were too much. Unsteadily, she reached for her wand and healed some of the minor cuts and bruises, but the deeper ones required a more potent spell to fix. One Hermione had never used or mastered, and she kicked herself for not learning it when she had the chance.

‘I have some bandages and disinfectant in my bag!' Selphie said and ran out of the room to collect the things she needed.

Hermione looked at the gash on Squall’s arm. ‘You’re hurt,’ she said, reaching out to turn his arm towards her.

‘It’s nothing,’ Squall said, but she shook her head.

‘Here,' she said, raising her wand towards it. Squall recoiled and pulled his arm back, but when he looked into her eyes, they pleaded for him to trust her. He nodded and moved his arm back towards her, and a green glow lit the tip. The incision closed and knitted itself together, leaving only a scar to show it had ever been there. With another whisper, the pain was gone.

Squall looked at the scar in astonishment, and he gave her a small smile to show his appreciation. Hermione stared at him having never seen more than a twitch of his lips. Squall looked away in embarrassment, but he was saved when Selphie came back with the medical supplies. ‘Here,’ Selphie said, taking out some gauze and applying disinfectant to it. She dabbed it on Hermione’s wounds, and the witch cursed at the pain. Selphie wrapped bandages around the wounds, and Squall leaned down to help her stand.

‘You okay?’ Squall asked as he took one of her hands, and wrapped his arm around her waist to support her.

‘Yeah, I'll live. Can't say the same for Rinoa,' Hermione answered darkly.

‘Yeah, let’s go have a word with her,’ Squall agreed, and the four companions left the room, and headed towards the briefing room. They looked around, but Rinoa was nowhere to be seen. ‘Where’s Rinoa?’ he asked Zone who was looking at them in alarm.

‘We don’t know,’ Zone answered, lowering his head. ‘She disappeared during the fiasco with the fake President. She’s not even on the train anymore,’ he said, and they looked back in shock.

‘That’s no surprise considering she tried to kill Hermione,’ Zell grumbled, crossing his arms.

‘SHE DID WHAT!?’ Zone yelled, staring at the bandages around Hermione as Squall helped her sit in a chair.

‘When the President went to attack her, Rinoa pushed Hermione in the way and ran,’ Squall clarified, shaking his head in anger.

‘But why?’ Zone questioned, leaning against the wall in shock.

Watts ran into the room then, making everyone look at him. ‘Info, sir! New info!’ he said, catching his breath. ‘It’s big news! I found out the real reason why the President’s here, sir! The President’s going to the TV Station! Security’s really tight, sir!’ Watts said, and then finally took in the SeeD members and the state Hermione was in. ‘Uh… what happened, sir?’ he asked Zone.

‘I don’t know, but something is not right with Rinoa,’ Zone replied, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

‘Yes, she has been acting weird lately, sir!’ Watts answered with a frown.

‘So, has she always been like this?’ Zell asked them.

‘No, she was always really nice to everyone. Always wanting to help…’ Zone answered, looking down miserably. ‘Then one morning she just… changed. It was a few weeks ago,’ he told them, and they nodded thoughtfully.

‘Do you have any idea where she might have gone?’ Squall asked them.

‘She probably went to the TV Station, sir! Rinoa wanted the first broadcast to be the declaration of Timber’s Independence, sir!’ Watts told them, and Squall nodded.

‘I wonder if the Dollet Communication Tower has anything to do with this,’ Selphie ruminated, tapping her chin and looking at Squall.

‘Perhaps,' Squall answered with a shrug, crossing his arms.

‘What’s that?’ Zone asked, looking at them in confusion.

‘Dollet has a Communication Tower that can transmit and receive radio waves. It had been abandoned for a long time, but the Galbadian Army got it up and running yesterday,' Squall enlightened, and they nodded.

‘Ohhhhh... I get it...’ Zone said, snapping his fingers. ‘The only TV Station that can handle broadcasts over the air is in Timber. Other stations use HD cable, which only supports online broadcasting,' he told them. ‘So, they must be planning to use radio waves. This way, they can transmit images to regions with cable,' Zone expounded, and they all nodded.

‘Do you think we should check it out, Squall?’ Zell asked, taking a seat next to Hermione.

‘I want to find out what happened to Rinoa,’ Hermione said, wincing at the pain from the cuts on her face. ‘If she wasn’t like this before, what happened to change her?’ she said, receiving a nod from Squall.

‘Okay, we'll head to the TV Station,' Squall said, moving to help Hermione stand.

‘But, can't we go home now? What about our contract? Shouldn't we check it, Squall?' Selphie asked, efficiently stopping Squall.

‘Yeah, you're right,' Squall said, letting go of Hermione gently. He turned to Zone. ‘Can we see the contract you guys made with our Garden?' Squall asked, and Zone nodded. Zone moved to a shelf and pulled out an envelope and handed it to Squall. Zell and Selphie moved in closer to Squall and Hermione. Squall opened the envelope and pulled out the sheet within. ‘To the Forest Owls. This SeeD deployment contract will last until Timber achieves independence. Please make good use of each SeeD member. I wish you the best with your objective. Please understand that this contract is an exception, and no replacement of any SeeD members can be made. Balamb Garden Headmaster Cid Kramer,' Squall finished reading, his grip tightening on the page until his knuckles turned white.

Zell frowned. ‘Until Timber's independence!?’ he bawled, snatching the paper from Squall to read it himself.

‘That is so vague!’ Selphie protested, looking over Zell’s shoulder.

‘But, they might never get Independence…’ Hermione trailed off, looking up at Squall who crossed his arms.

‘So, we're obligated to help Rinoa and the Forest Owls until Timber gets Independence,' Squall muttered, shaking his head.

‘Rinoa ran off though, and put us in an awful position with that fight! Wouldn't that make her contract null and void? I don't want to work with someone who might try and kill me!' Selphie said, putting her hands on her hips.

Squall shook his head. ‘We can’t do anything until we speak to the Headmaster,’ he answered with a groan. ‘Let’s just head to the TV Station. For all we know Rinoa may have just freaked out at the time,’ Squall said, avoiding looking at Hermione, but he could feel her expression of incredulity burning into him.

‘The local and transcontinental trains have stopped running, sir! So, taking the train is not going to be an option, sir! People in the town should know more though, sir!’ Watts told them as Zone left to tell the guys to take them back to Timber.

‘Okay, thanks,’ Squall muttered, crossing his arms.

Hermione looked down at the bandages on her arms and legs. Surely, Squall didn't think this was the outcome of an accident? That Rinoa just freaked out and decided to save herself. People do irrational things when they are in danger, and Hermione was the closest person to her. Rinoa probably thought Squall would jump in and save her. Rinoa couldn't have grasped the peril she put Hermione in.

Still, something was not right, and Hermione wanted to find out what it was. She pondered if Rinoa did go to the TV Station, and what they would find when they got there.


	9. Chapter Eight: A Bitter Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

_**Chapter Eight: A Bitter Truth** _

Rinoa pulled the hood of her cloak up to cover her face as she marched through the streets of Timber towards the Aurora Pub. She intended for Timber to have its Independence now, she was assured as much. Rinoa entered the pub, and with a slight movement of her hand, the drunken man at the back door was thrown away from it.

‘Gah!' he cried, holding his arm which he landed on painfully.

Rinoa watched the bar manager run over to him, and she used the commotion to leave through the back door. For a moment, she hesitated and looked down the dingy alleyway for signs of anyone before leaning against the wall. Rinoa took a deep breath, wondering if her actions were impulsive. _Maybe I should have delayed…_  she thought, shaking her head. _Too late now,_ and with that final thought, she headed towards the TV Station.

‘Rinoa?’ came a voice she recognised, and a smile blossomed on her face.

‘Seifer!’ Rinoa exclaimed, running into his outstretched arms. ‘What are you doing here?’ she questioned, beaming up at him.

‘I could ask you the same thing,’ Seifer countered in concern. ‘Where’s Squall? Is he not working for you?’ he inquired, looking around for them.

Rinoa’s eyes darkened for a moment, but she made her face impassive by the time he looked back at her. ‘Yes, I told him to meet me here,’ Rinoa lied, hoping Seifer wouldn’t pick up on it.

Seifer frowned. ‘Well, let’s go then,’ he said, taking her hand and leading her up the stairs towards a huge TV.

‘Wait, why are you here?’ Rinoa queried, stopping him from heading into the station.

‘I came to help,' Seifer responded vaguely and pulled her along behind him. ‘Come on,' he said, and they disappeared into the TV Station. They hid behind some screens, waiting for the opportune moment.

oOoOo 

The Timber Owl’s train pulled to a stop in the station, and the four companions exited with Squall in the lead. Watts followed them out. ‘The TV Station is located behind Timber Maniacs, sir! If you find Rinoa, please tell her to come back, sir!’ Watts said, and Squall nodded.

‘Watts! Come on! The Galbadian Soldiers are coming!’ Zone bellowed as the door to the train closed and moved away from the station.

Watts watched it in apprehension but turned back to Squall. ‘There's lots of guards patrolling Timber now, so please be careful, sir! You won't be able to stay at the hotel either, sir! You're all SeeD's though, so I guess you'll be fine, sir!' he said rapidly, before jumping off the platform and running after the train.

‘I hope he’ll be okay,’ Hermione whispered, crossing her arms.

‘I’m sure he’ll be fine,’ Squall replied, shaking his head. He moved over to a map next to the platform and indicated to a building. ‘Timber Maniacs should be a few blocks away. Let’s go,’ Squall told them, receiving nods.

They headed down the road Squall pointed out, and after a few minutes they found the building with a huge sign across the front “TIMBER MANIACS”. Outside was a young man staring wistfully into the window and they walked over to him. ‘Excuse me?’ Squall said, and the man turned to him.

‘Looking for Timber Maniacs? It’s right here,’ he said, gesturing to the building.

‘Well, duh,’ Zell muffled, shaking his head, but the guy didn’t seem to hear him.

‘No, we're looking for the TV Station. We were told it's behind Timber Maniacs. Do you know how we would get to it from here?' Hermione queried, and the guy looked around thoughtfully.

‘Yeah, that's in this town. I'm not sure how to get to it from here by foot though. The lady next door might know?' he told them and turned back to gaze at Timber Maniacs.

Hermione frowned and followed Squall towards the house the young man directed them to. ‘Sure, just knock on a random person's house? Is that what people do around here?' Hermione mumbled to herself, shaking her head.

Squall’s lips twitched. ‘It’s our only lead for the moment. May as well take it,’ he said, shrugging at her.

‘Come on; it won't be all bad, Hermione! I've heard the people in this town are really nice,' Selphie said, taking Hermione's arm.

Hermione laughed. ‘Okay, I’ll take your word for it,’ she said, letting the girl lead her along.

Squall rolled his eyes and knocked on the door to the residence. A woman opened it cautiously and peered out at them. ‘What do you want?' she demanded, looking at them with interest.

‘Sorry to bother you, ma'am, we were told you might know how we can get to the TV Station?' Squall asked her, bowing his head respectfully.

The woman looked at him in amazement. ‘What? You’re walking to the TV Station?’ she asked sceptically, observing the four companions in disbelief.

‘We have no choice. The trains aren’t running,’ Squall said with a shrug.

The woman opened the door fully and stepped out of her house. She looked towards the train station, and then to the pub. ‘Let's see…' she trailed off, before looking back at them. ‘There used to be a way to the back alley behind my house. The pub was built around the time they stopped broadcasting, but if you speak to the scary-looking, mean owner, he might help you,' she told them and pointed in the direction of the pub which was just down some stairs to their right.

‘Thank you,’ Hermione said, and the companions headed to the stairs.

A woman sitting on a bench next to the stairs stopped them. ‘You guys watch yourselves. Some seedy lookin’ guys were heading toward the pub,’ she warned them, and they nodded.

As they got down the stairs, two Galbadian Soldiers exited the pub. ‘That was too easy man,’ he laughed, shaking his head. ‘For a country bumpkin he sure had some good stuff,’ he said, looking at a card in his hand.

The other soldier didn’t look as entertained. ‘Yo, better ease off a little. These Timber hicks hate us enough as it is,’ he told him, before noting the companions at the foot of the stairs. ‘Got a staring problem?’ he barked at them, placing a hand on the hilt of his blade.

Squall subconsciously moved in front of Hermione and placed an arm out in front of her. ‘We just want to get to the pub,’ Squall said, while Zell and Selphie moved closer to Hermione.

‘You know I can take care of myself,’ Hermione mumbled, taking out her wand. She poked it through the gap between Squall’s arm and his side.

‘And what if we refuse to let you in?' The other soldier answered, unsheathing his sword. His partner followed suit.

Hermione whispered a spell, and the two soldiers stumbled suddenly, before falling to the ground. Squall, Zell, and Selphie gawked at them in astonishment as Hermione put her wand away. She walked over to them, making sure to stand on one of their chests, before grabbing the door handle of the pub door. Hermione turned back to her daunted companions. ‘Coming?’ she asked them.

‘What happened to them?’ Selphie questioned, kneeling down beside them to check they were still alive.

‘Don't worry, they're only sleeping,' Hermione countered with a shrug and pushed the door open to the bar.

The other three glanced at each other, before following her. The pub was small and somewhat grubby. Hermione frowned at the cloud of smoke drifting in the air and wrinkled her nose. She loathed the smell of stale cigarette smoke.

‘I’ve had enough of this city!’ came a voice from the other side of the pub. He was being patched up by another man who they assumed was a bartender. He was dressed in a waiter’s uniform and rolled his eyes at the drunk. ‘I came from Dollet to have me a good time,' he slurred, almost falling off the seat.

‘Then why don’t you leave?’ the bartender asked him, tightening the dressing.

‘The trains are no longer running. Can’t even stay in a hotel because of some stupid official!’ he countered as the bartender finished bandaging him up.

Squall looked around and moved over to a lady tidying a table. ‘Hi, we’re looking for the scary-looking, mean owner?’ he queried, reciting the words of the lady at the house.

The woman chuckled. ‘The scary-looking, mean owner of the pub?' she asked, shaking her head. ‘Did you hear that from his wife?' she inquired, and they all looked at each other. ‘The owner's actually a mellow guy, but not when he's with his wife. They fight like wild animals,' she snickered and pointed to the bartender who was patching up the drunk.

_Okay, too much information,_ Squall thought. ‘Thanks,' he muttered and moved towards the owner.

The owner took a step back from where he was quarrelling with the drunk and looked at the newcomers. ‘Can I help?’ he requested, snubbing the whinging drunk.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yes, is there a way to the TV Station through here?’ she asked, looking around for a door.

‘Sure,’ the owner replied, leading them further into the pub. ‘The door there leads to the back alley and beyond that is the TV Station,’ he clarified, indicating to the door.

‘Thanks,' Hermione said and turned to Squall. ‘Should we go?' she solicited to him, and he nodded.

Squall opened the door, raising his eyebrow at a drunk sleeping next to some boxes and a trash can, and led them further into the alley. _This place is revolting,_ Squall thought with a grimace as he avoided stepping in a green liquid on the ground which was spilling from a knocked over container.

‘Looks like no one’s been back here in years,’ Zell said, reaching out and pulling Selphie out of the way of the liquid on the ground before she stepped in it herself.

‘Thanks,’ Selphie griped, looking a bit green.

They reached the metal stairs leading up to the TV Station and looked around. There were bins there that appeared like they hadn't ever been emptied, and Hermione swallowed the bile rising in her throat from the odour.

They walked up the stairs, coming to a stop in front of a huge TV. ‘Whoa, an outdoor TV!' Zell exclaimed, looking at the TV in awe.

‘That noise is weird,’ Selphie mumbled, covering her ears.

‘This noise is broadcast over most of the frequencies. Something has to be done about this before they can broadcast over the air,’ Squall elucidated, observing the TV.

‘Oh? I was wondering myself,' Zell said, shaking his head.

‘Wow,’ Squall heard Hermione say as she clutched the railing and beheld the view across Timber.

Squall turned towards her, watching her wide eyes take in the city. Hermione tied her hair up before they left the train, but a few curls escaped and were framing her face. Squall suddenly felt a desire to tuck them behind her ears but crushed the thought vehemently. He swallowed, not knowing where the impulse came from and shook his head. Squall turned away from her, not wanting any more of them to appear.

Watts came running up the stairs then, startling them. ‘Watts?’ Squall questioned, frowning at him.

‘I came to tell you that the President’s in the studio now, sir,’ Watts responded, looking around them. ‘Rinoa!' he exclaimed, and the friends turned to find Rinoa walking towards them.

Rinoa stopped next to them, taking in their wary faces. Rinoa looked at where Hermione was leaning against the railing. _It would be so easy to just…_ She trailed off in her thoughts. ‘I’m sorry about what happened earlier. I panicked and thought only of my safety. It was selfish. Can you forgive me?’ Rinoa requested, pouting and trying to look remorseful.

Hermione glowered, not buying it, but she didn’t want Squall, Zell, and Selphie to get into trouble. They were still employed by Rinoa. ‘Sure,’ Hermione replied pleasantly, but inside she was boiling with suspicion and irritation.

Squall observed them, before frowning at Hermione. The witch gave him a pointed look, and he turned to Rinoa. ‘We’ll handle this. Go back with Watts,’ Squall told Rinoa, but the girl just laughed.

‘I think not,' Rinoa countered, clicking her tongue. ‘You are under my command, my dear Squall. Not the other way around,' she told him, moving closer to him until they were inches apart. ‘I. Do. Not. Take. Orders. From. You,' Rinoa jabbed him in the chest with every word, and Squall scowled at her.

Squall took a step away from her, purposefully putting himself between Rinoa and Hermione. Hermione looked at him, speculating if he finally comprehended Rinoa was probably genuinely trying to murder her. ‘Well, what’s your strategy?’ Squall inquired, crossing his arms.

‘Well, the President is there, so we could storm in and take on the guards?' Rinoa said rashly.

‘I'm not putting my comrades in danger. There's too many guards,' Squall responded, shaking his head. ‘What else?'

Rinoa glowered at him; he was ruining her plan. ‘Then we wait until the President leaves. His guards will hopefully leave with him. Then I can do our broadcast,' Rinoa replied, shifting her weight to the other foot, waiting for Squall to consider his options.

Squall rolled his eyes. ‘Whatever, just tell us when to go,' he said and turned away from Rinoa. ‘We just want this mission to be over so we can leave,' Squall added, glaring down at her.

‘Oh, yes, to leave and go back to your blissful existence at Garden,’ Rinoa spat, narrowing her eyes as he turned back to her. ‘Keep in mind, Squall, that my broadcast won’t necessarily bring Timber Independence. There are other things to consider,’ Rinoa said, sneering at him.

Squall’s eyes flashed. ‘We are not going to hang around and wait for you to fuck up your schemes,' Squall seethed, and Hermione's eyes widened. She hadn't seen Squall angry before, and it was quite frightening. ‘We are not pawns in your pathetic little game! We will do what we must to help you accomplish your goal, and then we are gone,’ Squall said dangerously, his eyes telling her to back off.

Hermione glanced at Rinoa, and she frowned at seeing the huge grin plastered on the girl’s face. ‘Well, that’s Cid’s decision, is it not?' Rinoa said and regarded her nails impartially before peering up and raising a daring eyebrow at Squall.

Squall closed his eyes irritably, before leaning against the railing beside Hermione. She didn’t look at him, but she could almost feel the resentment radiating from him.

There was a thick silence, and the tension swathed over them all like a blanket. Rinoa turned towards the TV, the smirk still on her face and Hermione realised she thought she had won this fight. Hermione didn’t doubt that Squall was very close to walking away from this mission. Surely, Cid would understand.

The TV made a crackling noise and sputtered to life, showing a podium with a camera crew making alterations. ‘They starting?' Zell asked, turning to look at the massive TV.

The broadcast started with a jumpy announcer taking his place behind the podium. ‘ _T-Testing… 1… 2… Testing… Testing…_ ’ he muffled, and the crew nodded to him, letting him know the sound was fine. ‘ _Oh, this is incredible!_ ’ he said enthusiastically, sorting his tie. ‘ _People of the world, this is not a recording! This is an actual broadcast over the air! Yes, it’s been seventeen years since a live broadcast has been possible!_ ’ he said, and wiped sweat from his brow. ‘ _Oh, please excuse me… I seem to have lost my composure. We would like to present to you today a message from the lifelong President of Galbadia, Vinzer Deling_ ,’ he said, stepping down from the podium.

Squall looked over at Rinoa who was glaring at the screen as the President appeared. He noticed her knuckles clenching, but her eyes were searching the screen for something. Rinoa was waiting for something to happen, and Squall speculated on what she had prearranged. She came from the TV Station… had she done something to interrupt the broadcast? Squall cast a sideways glance at Hermione who was watching the screen in fascination.

Squall tuned back into the transmission as the President spoke, ‘ _Greetings. I am Vinzer Deling, Lifelong President of Galbadia. Today, I stand before you to make the following proposition. We, the people of the world, have the power to end all wars_ ,' he said, raising his arms out in what Squall supposed was meant to be a friendly gesture.

‘It’s a peace proposal to the world! I knew it!’ Selphie cried, pointing to the screen eagerly.

Rinoa rolled her eyes. ‘This is not a peace proposal,’ she murmured, deflating Selphie’s pleased balloon. ‘Deling doesn’t do peace talks,’ Rinoa added, shaking her head and crossing her arms.

They continued viewing as President Deling wiped imaginary lint from his suit. ‘ _Unfortunately, some trifling problems are standing between Galbadia and other nations, and they must be resolved_ ,’ he paused as a loud noise disrupted him, followed by a shout, but the President disregarded it. ‘ _I plan to convene with other nations’ leaders immediately to resolve these problems. At this time, allow me to introduce the ambassador who will be my representative for the conference_ ,' he said, nodding to an unknown figure off-screen.

Zell shook his head. ‘Man! All this just to introduce an ambassador,’ he said, nodding to the TV.

‘ _The ambassador is the Sorceress…_ ’ the President was saying, and their eyes shot back to the screen.

‘The Sorceress?’ Squall whispered with a frown, but his eyes moved to Hermione who shrugged.

Squall turned to look back at the screen, but he noticed Rinoa was quivering in fury, and he wondered what got her so riled up. Squall opened his mouth to interrogate her, but clamours on the screen made his eyes shift back to it.

Seifer was there, killing Galbadian Soldiers.

‘Seifer!’ Zell bellowed, watching the events unfold on the screen.

Seifer slashed at another soldier, spraying blood on the camera which trickled down the screen. Hermione grimaced and looked away. Two soldiers seized Seifer from behind, and he grappled with them as another came towards him. Seifer kicked him into the camera which fell to the floor, and he managed to throw the other two off him. Seifer ran towards Deling, grasping his arms and held his gunblade to his throat.

‘What is he doing!?' Selphie screamed, pointing at the screen.

Quistis ran in then, pushing through the soldiers who were advancing on Seifer. ‘Instructor Trepe!?’ Zell said in surprise.

Quistis held her arms out to stop them from moving closer to them. ‘ _Stay back!_ ' she cried at them. When another crept forward, she shoved him back. ‘ _For the last time, stay back! You’re only going to provoke him!_ ' Quistis yelled at him, and he took a step back.

‘Rinoa!’ Selphie cried as the dark-haired girl ran towards the TV Station.

‘Squall?' Hermione said, looking at the screen before turning to him.

Squall exhaled and rubbed his face. ‘It’s none of our business. Rinoa may be our client, but it’s her fault if she decides to run head-first into danger,’ he said to them as they gaped back at him in incredulity. Squall grasped Hermione’s elbow and started to lead her down the stairs away from the TV Station.

‘ _Timber Team, are you watching?_ ’ Quistis’ voice reverberated from the screen, and Squall hesitated. ‘ _Get over here right now! You_ have _permission! I need your help!_ ’ Quistis ordered, and Squall growled under his breath.

Squall turned on his heel, still holding Hermione’s elbow, and nodded to the other two. They hurried towards the TV Station, preparing themselves for what was about to happen.

oOoOo 

Rinoa crept past the commotion into a room off from the stage and took in the woman standing on a platform in respect. The woman walked over to her, and her expression gave away that she was not happy to see her. ‘You are failing,' the woman ridiculed, clutching Rinoa's chin.

‘I’m trying, Mistress,’ Rinoa countered, lowering her head in disgrace.

‘Then, why is she still alive?’ the woman inquired, tilting her head at the girl.

‘Complications, Mistress,’ Rinoa replied, forcing herself to look at the woman.

The woman clicked her tongue, before striking Rinoa across the face. The force caused her to fall to the ground, grasping her throbbing cheek as she moved to her knees. ‘Get out of my sight,’ the woman hissed, and Rinoa nodded.

Unsteadily, Rinoa entered a portal and vanished.


	10. Chapter Nine: Escape from Timber

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

_**Chapter Nine: Escape from Timber** _

Hermione ran into the TV Station, following behind Squall. Seifer was still near the podium, his blade too close to the President’s neck for comfort. ‘Oh, no,’ she whispered and pulled out her wand.

‘We need to restrain him!’ Quistis said, holding her arms out to stop them from moving too close to him.

‘How are we going to do that?’ Hermione asked, trying to think of a spell she could use to make Seifer let go of the President without slitting his throat in the process. Squall placed a hand on her wand arm and gave her a shake of his head. She frowned at him, but lowered her arm, gripping her wand and staying alert in case anything happened. Constant vigilance as Moody would say.

Squall looked at Seifer, placing a hand on his hip. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ he asked nonchalantly, gesturing to Seifer and the noticeably shaking President.

Seifer frowned in confusion. ‘It’s obvious, ain’t it!?’ he questioned, rolling his eyes. He tightened his grip on the President, his blade connecting with the skin at his neck. Hermione cringed as a thin trail of blood slid down and disappeared beneath his collar. ‘What are you planning to do with this guy?’ Seifer asked them, lowering his guard a little.

‘Planning to do?’ Squall asked in confusion and shook his head. He crossed his arms as he thought about it and it clicked, _that's right, he knows Rinoa. Is that why he's here?_

‘Seifer, we weren’t planning on doing anything with him. At least, nothing violent,’ Hermione said, trying to reason with him.

Seifer tilted his head at her but didn't let the President go. ‘That's not what Rinoa told me,’ he countered, bringing his blade back to the President's throat. ‘She told me you planned to kill him, and that I would be rewarded for helping,’ he told them.

Hermione’s eyes widened, and she felt a trickle of sweat bead on her forehead at his words. _Is that girl for real? What is with her trying to kill people?_ She wondered, shaking her head. They had to do something to stop him, and quickly.

Squall looked over at her and gave her a tiny nod. Hermione flicked her wand, and Seifer was sent flying into the back of the stage. The President ran towards them, his attendants coming to his aid. ‘Thank you,’ he muttered and received a nod from Hermione.

‘Let’s restrain him, while we have the chance,’ Quistis said, moving towards Seifer. ‘He broke out of the disciplinary room, injuring many in the process,’ she told them as she knelt next to the young man.

‘Stupid idiot,’ Zell muttered, shaking his head. ‘Instructor, I know! You’re going to take this stupid idiot back to Garden, right?’ he asked, before realising his blunder.

‘Shut up! NO!' Squall shouted, looking at Zell in disbelief. Hermione looked at them, wondering why Squall was so annoyed.

Seifer leapt to his feet, grabbing his gunblade and pointed it at Quistis. ‘Not a step closer,’ he warned, and Quistis stopped.

‘I see,’ President Deling piped up, and they all looked at him. Squall closed his eyes in vexation as he knew what was coming. ‘For your treachery, the entire Galbadian Military will undoubtedly crush Garden,’ he proclaimed, and Hermione looked at him in scepticism.

‘Hold on, you can’t hold Garden accountable for the deeds of one person,’ Hermione reasoned, shaking her head.

‘How do I know Garden didn’t send him to assassinate me?’ The President said, raising his eyebrows.

Seifer growled. ‘Nice going, you dumb chicken! You and your stupid big mouth!’ he shouted, shaking his head. ‘I’m out of here!’ he bellowed and ran into the other room.

‘Wait!’ Quistis cried and ran after him.

Seifer entered a back room and looked around for an escape route. Something about the place was off like there was a strange hum in the atmosphere. ‘Poor, poor boy,' a voice said, and Seifer looked around in apprehension.

‘Stay away from me!’ Seifer shouted, searching the room for the voice.

A woman appeared, seemingly out of thin air, from a curtain at the back of the room. Seifer backed away in dread as the woman came to a stop before him. ‘Such a confused little boy. Are you going to step forward? Retreat? You have to decide,’ she said, her voice soft, sweet, and alluring.

‘Stay back!’ Seifer said, his voice irresolute as a strange sensation washed over him.

Quistis caught up with him then, and the woman raised her hand which caused the younger woman to fall to her knees, unable to move. She could only watch the unfolding events.

‘The boy in you is telling you to come. The adult in you is telling you to back off,’ the woman continued as if she hadn’t been interrupted. She stepped closer to Seifer and circled him. ‘You can’t make up your mind. You don’t know the right answer,’ she alleged, and she came to a stop in front of him. ‘You want help, don’t you? You want to be saved from this… predicament?’ she questioned him, tilting her head.

‘Shut up!’ Seifer yelled, grabbing his head in discomfort.

‘Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. Besides, you’re only a little boy,’ she reasoned with him.

‘I’m not—’ Seifer cut himself off, shaking his head irritably. ‘Stop calling me a boy,’ he said, but his voice wavered.

‘You don’t want to be a boy anymore?’ she asked him, looking at him with innocent curiosity.

Seifer scowled at her. ‘I am not a BOY!’ he yelled, his hands balling into fists.

Squall, Selphie, Zell, and Hermione ran into the room, and she raised her hand again. Hermione raised her wand. ‘Protego!' she said, and the spell didn't affect her, but the others were paralysed in place.

The woman tutted. ‘You, my dear, are the very bane of my existence,’ she said, turning fully to Hermione and casting another spell. Hermione was thrown into the wall with enough force to wind her. She tried to get back up, but struggled and watched as the woman turned back to Seifer. ‘Come with me to a place of no return. Bid farewell to your childhood,’ she told him, and Seifer nodded.

‘Seifer, no,’ Hermione whispered as she crawled onto her knees, pointing her wand at the woman. Seifer waved at them before turning and walking through the curtain the same way the woman had arrived. He disappeared.

The woman turned back to Hermione. ‘You would do well not to hinder me,’ she said as she raised her hand and Hermione felt a force wrap around her throat like someone was strangling her. She gasped for breath, feeling herself lose consciousness.

Squall and the others were released from their spell, and he ran forward. ‘Hermione!’ he cried, kneeling at her side and pulling her into his back.

‘Pathetic,’ the woman said, lowering her hand and the force stopped.

Hermione gasped for breath and tried to raise her wand at the woman, but she was thoroughly winded. Her eyes dropped closed, and her head fell back against Squall's chest.

‘You will meet your end very soon,' the woman promised before vanishing.

‘Hermione?' Squall whispered, turning her head towards him. He could feel her pulse, and he let out a breath of relief, but the woman's words had him worried.

‘Is she okay?' Selphie asked, coming to kneel at her other side.

‘She'll be fine,' Squall muttered, picking her up and carrying her bridal style. ‘Let's get out of here,' he told them, and they followed him out of the TV Station.

‘What happened to Seifer?’ Selphie questioned as they stopped at the outdoor TV.

‘I don’t know… he just disappeared,’ Squall answered, looking down at Hermione.

They continued down the stairs and ran towards the pub, meeting Watts on the way. ‘They found our base, sir! It’s completely destroyed!’ he told them, before looking around for someone. ‘Where’s Rinoa, sir?’ he queried.

‘We don't know,' Squall replied, looking at the ground as he pondered what happened to her. She seemed to have disappeared as well. On the one hand, he had wanted to keep her close so he could watch her for anything suspicious, but on the other, he was relieved she was gone and hoped they wouldn't run into her again. She was bad news.

‘Is everyone okay?’ Selphie asked Watts, looking at him in concern.

‘Oh, yes, sir! Everyone escaped,’ he told them with a smile. ‘You should get away from Timber, sir!’ Watts told them as he led them into the pub.

The owner of the pub approached them as they came in. ‘My wife was looking for Rinoa, she said your base is destroyed,' he said, looking at Watts who nodded. ‘Please, she said to head to our house once you came back. If Rinoa comes through, I'll tell her to catch up with you guys,' he told them, and they nodded.

‘It’s better than nothing for now,’ Squall said to Selphie and Zell who nodded. They followed Watts out of the pub, and the companions headed to the pub owners house.

The woman they spoke to earlier about getting to the TV Station opened the door. When she noticed Hermione's condition, she ushered them in and told Squall to take her upstairs. Squall lay her on the bed and pulled a chair over to it. He leaned over and moved the hair back from her face with his gloved hand. Squall looked up as the woman walked over to her, and lifted her head making her drink a red liquid.

‘What happened to her?' She inquired, looking at Squall. The woman placed a bowl of water with a cloth on the bedside table. She wrung out the cloth and wiped Hermione’s forehead with it.

‘A Sorceress attacked us,' Squall answered, his eyes not leaving Hermione's face. ‘She threatened her,' he whispered, his tone livid.

‘Well, she should be okay. She just needs some rest,’ the woman said, placing a comforting hand on Squall’s shoulder and indicating for them to leave her.

Squall stood up unwillingly but followed the woman downstairs. ‘Thank you, um…' he trailed off as he realised they didn't know the woman's name.

‘Just call me Chief,’ she replied with a smile.

‘“Chief”?’ Selphie inquired, tilting her head.

‘I’m the leader of the “Forest Fox”,’ the Chief responded, moving to the window and looking out.

‘Almost everyone’s a resistance member in this town, sir!’ Watts told them, receiving nods.

‘How’s Hermione?’ Quistis asked as Squall took a seat at the kitchen table.

‘She'll be fine,' Squall muttered, shaking his head. ‘We need to be extra cautious though. That's two attempts on her life now. We need to take this mission seriously and keep a close eye on anything suspicious,' Squall said broodingly as he looked at Zell and Selphie. The two nodded at him, and Squall leaned back in his chair, his eyes focused on the top of the stairs.

After a while of silence, Selphie sighed and turned to the room. ‘I still don’t get it. What did Seifer come here for?’ she asked them with a frown.

‘I think he came to help us, sir,’ Watts answered, his usual cheery conduct gone. ‘Rinoa told him a lot about it,’ he added, shaking his head.

The companions were alarmed as they heard banging on the door. ‘Anybody in here!?’ someone bellowed, beating on the door again.

‘Upstairs, hurry!’ the Chief’s daughter said as the Chief moved towards the door.

They disappeared up the stairs followed by the girl who closed the door behind them. ‘What is this!? I have two small children in here! Don’t do anything to frighten them!’ the Chief was shouting downstairs.

Squall took a seat next to Hermione, refraining from placing his hand over hers and turned to the girl. ‘Will she be okay?’ he asked her, looking at the closed door the girl was leaning against.

‘She’ll be fine,’ the girl giggled, pushing off the door. ‘The legend goes that my mother took down many soldiers with her strength, cooking, and beauty,’ she countered, a glazed look in her eyes.

Selphie chuckled. ‘That “beauty” part sure makes it sound like a legend,’ she said, and the girl shook her head, glaring at Selphie who shrugged in response. Selphie sat down against the wall near to where Zell was leaning staring out the window. ‘So tired…’ she whispered, leaning her head against the wall and closing her eyes.

‘I wonder if Seifer's all right,' Quistis said, shaking her head. Squall turned to look at her, and comment on this, but she continued, ‘He was so angry when he found out it was only the three of you dispatched to Timber with Hermione,' she said, and Squall frowned.

‘Why?’ Squall asked, leaning forward in his chair.

‘“What!? They might end up fighting the whole Galbadian force! And all they dispatch are three rookie SeeD members!? Dammit, I'm going to Timber!”’ Quistis stated, quoting the words Seifer used before he broke out of the disciplinary room. Quistis shook her head and turned to look at Squall. ‘I would never have guessed he was serious about it,' she said, pacing the length of the small bedroom.

_That guy is always serious. You should know that by now,_ Squall thought, shaking his head. He turned back to Hermione as she groaned and placed a hand on her forehead. ‘Hermione?’ Squall breathed, removing his gloves and reaching for the wet cloth. He wrung it out and wiped Hermione’s head with it.

The others moved closer, gathering around her as she opened her eyes. Hermione paid them no mind as the first eyes she saw were sapphire blue ones, and they were looking at her in concern. ‘Squall?' Hermione whispered, blinking a few times to rid herself of her blurred vision. ‘What happened?' she questioned, moving to sit up, but Squall pressed against her shoulder softly.

‘Don't rush, just rest,' Squall said gently, his hand lingering on her shoulder until she settled back down.

‘Where am I?’ Hermione asked, looking around the room in confusion. It was a child's room if the toys were any indication.

‘Remember the house we went to for directions earlier? The Chief has let us stay here until we can get out of Timber,’ Squall answered, dabbing the cloth against her head again.

Hermione nodded. ‘Thanks, Squall,’ she said, smiling at him.

‘Just doing my duty,' Squall replied with a frown, looking away from her.

Hermione bit her lip and looked away from him comprehending he wasn't worried about her wellbeing; he was just doing what he was told. Squall was ordered to protect her; it had nothing to do with any genuine concern he might have. Hermione took a deep breath and looked at the room as a whole, choosing not to look at Squall for the moment. Hermione was worried he would see something there and back off, maybe even opt out of his mission. She would rather not have to deal with someone else.

‘So, what happened?’ Hermione inquired, eyeing the faces in the room. Selphie was puzzled, Zell appeared to be distraught, Quistis looked apprehensive, and Squall had his arms crossed and was observing the floor. ‘Wow, a cheerful party we have here,’ Hermione said, chuckling tensely as all eyes turned to her. She swallowed and shrugged. ‘So?’ Hermione asked again.

‘Seifer disappeared, and the Sorceress tried to kill you. She then threatened to kill you later and vanished. Rinoa is also missing. We also have to deal with the President who might retaliate on Garden,’ Squall answered, listing off everything on his fingers.

‘Great, so Rinoa and this Sorceress want to kill me?' Hermione asked, leaning against the headboard and sighing. _Griever?_ She called into her mind, but she didn't expect an answer. Her companion had been very quiet for the last few days, and Hermione was worried something had happened to him.

_Hermione?_ Came the answer, and Hermione sat up in shock.

‘Whoa, calm down,’ Squall said, grabbing her arms and pushing her back down.

For a moment, Hermione was distracted by the feel of Squall's ungloved, calloused hands on her arms. She marvelled at the fact he even took his gloves off and realised he didn't want to get them wet. Then she remembered she wanted to speak to Griever. _Where have you been?_ Hermione questioned him, not entirely meaning it to sound as abrasive as it came out.

_Protecting you,_ Griever answered with a sigh. Hermione frowned, but before she could ask, he continued, _you have attracted the attention of those who want to deter the plan. They will try to kill you using any means necessary. You need to take extra precaution. Squall will protect you with his life, but he is not a miracle worker. There is only so much he can do._

_Yes, I know. Rinoa wants to kill me, and now a powerful Sorceress is trying to off me,_ Hermione replied, frowning at her hands.

_Be wary, Hermione. They are not the only ones. Keep your eyes open and stay attentive even around those who you deem to be friends. Spies are everywhere,_ Griever said, and Hermione felt a shiver run down her spine.

_Anything else I should know? Like, why they are trying to kill me?_ Hermione asked, picking at her fingers which was a nervous habit of showing she was anxious.

_Because of my Ring. It needs to be destroyed, but they will not permit it,_ Griever answered, and Hermione could almost see the pain on his face.

_Why? What will happen if it’s destroyed?_ Hermione inquired, almost dreading the answer.

_My Mistress and I will cease to be,_ Griever countered, and Hermione could hear the sorrow in his voice.

_Your Mistress?_ Hermione queried, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t answer.

_Not now, you will learn in due course,_ Griever answered, and Hermione nodded internally.

Hermione tuned back into the room, there was a thick tension blanketing it, and it made her feel uncomfortable. Quistis was pacing again, and she turned towards Squall. ‘What's going to happen to Seifer?' Quistis asked, and Hermione wondered if it was hypothetical. No one knew what was going to happen to him, but Hermione had watched him willingly go with the Sorceress.

‘He may already be dead,’ Squall said coolly, pulling his gloves back on.

Hermione frowned at him. ‘Seifer went with the Sorceress freely, but I don’t think he grasped what he might have been getting himself into. I feel bad for him,’ Hermione said, shaking her head.

Squall looked at her in amazement. _Feel bad? Seifer would hate to hear that,_ Squall thought before snickering out loud.

‘I don’t think this is a laughing matter, Squall,’ Hermione seethed, glaring at him and his chuckle died in his throat.

‘So, why do you think Seifer may already be dead?' Selphie questioned Squall before Hermione could kill him.

Squall turned to look at her. _Because,_ he thought, shaking his head. ‘The President of Galbadia and the Sorceress joined forces. Seifer attacked the President. It’s no surprise that Seifer may have been killed because of it,’ Squall responded as if this should be apparent.

Hermione leaned back against the headboard. What Squall said made sense, but she also hoped it wasn't the case. Hermione had no love for Seifer. In fact, he reminded her of Draco Malfoy, but she would never wish death upon anyone. Even if they were a nasty piece of work. ‘I hope he's okay,' Hermione said, and Squall turned to look at her. He frowned at her and pursed his lips.

_Why does she care?_ Squall asked himself as he scowled at the floor. _Why do I care what she thinks? She can believe whatever she wants; it's none of my business. Reality isn't so kind. Everything doesn't work out the way you want it to. That's why…_ Squall trailed off in his reveries. ‘As long as you don’t get your hopes up, you can take anything… You feel less pain,’ Squall muttered, finishing his thoughts out loud. Everyone frowned at him, and he looked at the ground again. Squall sighed and looked at Hermione. ‘Anyway, whatever wish you have is none of my business,' he murmured, standing up and moving to the other side of the room and glowering at the floor.

Hermione crossed her arms and scowled at the bed. _What’s his problem?_ She thought to herself. ‘Yeah, it’s none of your business. No need to be so fucking harsh about this situation though,’ Hermione snarled, glaring at him before turning her attention to the window.

Squall frowned at her. _What’s with her?_ He wondered before swallowing and looking at the floor. ‘Sorry,’ Squall muttered, crossing his arms.

The others looked at each other as the tension in the room intensified. They all breathed a sigh of relief as the Chief came into the room. ‘The Galbadian forces are withdrawing. Only the soldiers normally stationed here will stick around,' she told them, moving over to Hermione and helping her stand. ‘If you're gonna leave, now's your chance! You know how persistent those soldiers can be!' the Chief told them, and left the room.

Selphie and Zell left the room, heading downstairs, and Quistis moved over to help Hermione who looked at Squall for a moment before they followed the others down more slowly. Squall took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment before following.

‘Where’s Watts?’ Squall questioned when he came downstairs, only just realising he never followed them upstairs earlier.

‘Watts slipped out the back earlier to scope things out,’ the Chief’s daughter answered from where she was washing dishes.

Squall nodded before taking a seat at the table across from Quistis and Hermione. ‘Seems like everyone’s tired,’ Quistis said, leaning back in her chair.

The Chief put two pots on the table, one filled with tea and the other with coffee. Her daughter put several cups down, and they helped themselves to a drink. Selphie sat down between Squall and Hermione, cradling her cup of tea in her hands. ‘I want to go home!' Selphie said, resting her head on her arms.

The Chief nodded, taking a sip of her coffee before looking at them. ‘So, what’s your plan?’ she asked them, passing her daughter a towel to dry the dishes.

Quistis looked at Squall who was staring at his coffee. ‘Squall, any thoughts on where to go?’ she inquired, sipping her black tea.

_We have to get out of here first,_ Squall thought, not looking up.

‘Getting out of here is only the first step,’ Quistis said, making him look up at her.

‘What do you mean?’ Squall asked, frowning at her in misunderstanding.

Quistis tilted her head at him. ‘Garden Code, Article 8, line 7,’ she countered, raising her eyebrow at him.

Squall looked away, _8:7… in the event that returning to the assigned Garden is not possible, report to the nearest Garden,_ he recalled before looking at her. ‘Head for the nearest Garden,’ Squall answered, and she nodded.

‘Very good! From here, that would be Galbadia Garden,’ Quistis clarified, smiling at him.

‘There’s a train which goes to East Academy Station from here,’ The Chief said, nodding her head in agreement.

‘From there, we have to go through the forest west of the station to get to Galbadia Garden,’ Quistis told them, and they all nodded.

‘Will we be welcome there, though? After what’s happened?’ Hermione asked, looking down at her coffee.

‘I’ve been there several times. We should be okay,’ Quistis reassured her, and Hermione nodded.

Though, Hermione wasn’t convinced. She had a feeling they were going to run into trouble before they even reached Galbadia Garden. She also thought they wouldn’t have a welcome reception at the Garden either.

Squall looked at her and caught her gaze in his. He inclined his head as if to say “I'll protect you”, and Hermione looked away. Squall sighed inwardly knowing she was still annoyed at him and turned back to Quistis. ‘Okay then, we'll escape from Timber and head to Galbadia Garden,’ he said, receiving nods.

The five companions stood and headed for the door. ‘You be careful now. Take this with you,’ the Chief said, handing them a bag with provisions and medical supplies.

‘Thank you,’ Squall said, watching Quistis take the bag and shouldering it.

‘We're counting on you. Good luck!’ the girl said, smiling at them. ‘Come by our house anytime you're in Timber,' she added, and they nodded.

As they left, a soldier ran up to them. ‘Not good!’ Zell said, getting ready to fight.

‘It’s me, sir! It’s me!’ the soldier said, holding up his hands in surrender. They relaxed when they realised it was Watts. ‘Got some info, sir! Timber Station will be shut down temporarily,’ he told them.

‘Major bummer!’ Selphie cried, sighing in frustration.

‘Not necessarily. It’s not completely shut down yet. The last train out of here is bound for East Academy Station,’ Watts informed them.

Squall nodded. 'We're getting on that train,' Squall said, looking at his companions, his eyes landing on Hermione last. ‘What about you? Will you be safe here?' Squall asked him, wondering how long it would be before Watts was caught.

Watts beamed at him. ‘I’ll be fine, sir! I’ll put up the fight of my life!’ he called, saluting them and they all saluted back except Hermione. ‘I’m happy, sir!’ Watts added before running off back down the street.

The companions headed towards the station and were just about to enter through the archway when an old man stopped them. ‘Squall! It's me!' he said, and shuffled towards them.

‘Zone?’ Squall asked, frowning at the old man. _Excellent disguise,_ he thought fleetingly to himself.

‘You need to go to East Academy, right? There’s no more tickets left,’ Zone told them, shaking his head.

‘Oh, MAJOR bummer!’ Selphie exclaimed, crossing her arms.

Squall rolled his eyes. ‘We’ll do whatever it takes to get on that train,’ he said, crossing his arms.

Zone looked at them, realising someone was missing. ‘Where’s Rinoa?’ he asked suddenly, looking for her.

Squall looked at the ground, shifting his weight awkwardly. ‘We don't know. We ran into Rinoa when we went to the TV Station, and she disappeared after that,' Squall told him, receiving a nod from Zone.

‘I don't understand what happened to her,' Zone muttered, shaking his head. ‘Anyway, you won't have to run in, guns blazing,' he told them, and they looked back inquisitively. ‘Looky here! I have everyone's ticket right here!' Zone told them and handed tickets to everyone except Quistis. ‘And the last one is for me,' he said, before comprehending Quistis was there with them and didn't have a ticket. Zone looked towards the Station before walking over to her. ‘Go on, take it,' he said, handing her the ticket.

‘I can’t take that. It’s yours!’ Quistis argued, but Zone shook his head.

‘Just get going! The train’s leaving!’ Zone shouted out, grabbing his stomach.

‘Thank you,’ Quistis whispered, looking at the ticket.

The five companions ran into the station, just making it before the conductor closed the door. ‘This train is bound for Dollet, stopping at East Academy. This is the last train for today. Please hurry, if you’re boarding,’ he told them.

‘The last train,’ Squall muttered before turning to Quistis. ‘Let me double check,’ he said, turning back to look at her. ‘Get off at East Academy and go through the forest, west of the station. Galbadia Garden is located up ahead. Is that correct?’ Squall asked her.

‘Indeed. Glad we have a leader with a good memory,’ Quistis answered, following him onto the train.

_‘This train, bound for East Academy, will depart shortly,’_ came the train announcement as they entered and found their companions already there.

‘We’ll—’ Squall started, but he was cut off.

‘Open, open, OPEN!' Selphie cried as she stood next to the door to the hallway, bouncing from one foot to the other impatiently.

‘Make it,’ Squall finished, disregarding Selphie.

‘Please!’ Selphie said, and then she turned to him with her hand on her hip. ‘Open up!’ she complained, frowning at him.

_Better let her have her way,_ Squall thought, shaking his head and moving to the door. He swiped the card, and it granted access.

‘Thanks!' Selphie chirped, running through the door and disappearing.

Squall shook his head, and moved away from the door, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Hermione looked over at him and thought he looked a bit down. She shook her head and sat down on the floor, leaning back against the wall. The last few days had been a trying experience for her, and she just wanted to sleep.

Hermione's thoughts turned to Harry and Ron. Were they looking for her? Was Draco Malfoy also curious as to her disappearance? Would they try to find a way here? Maybe they would tell Dumbledore and save her from this unpleasant reality. It was a fascinating journey, and she had no reservation she would be enjoying it if it wasn't for people trying to kill her at every turn.

Hermione's eyes burned with tears. _I wish Harry and Ron were here. Hell, even Malfoy! Just someone familiar…_

oOoOo

Harry, Ron, and Malfoy entered Dumbledore’s office. Dumbledore looked up from his desk and eyed them interestedly. It was well-known Malfoy was not a friend of the Gryffindor's. ‘Can I help?' Dumbledore asked and conjured three chairs which they sat in gratefully.

‘Hermione is… um…’ Ron trailed off, unsure of how to tell him.

‘Granger is missing. Weasley found a strange door in a hallway which has disappeared along with her. We haven’t been able to find any clues as to what’s happened to her. She might even be dead,’ Malfoy shot out, not caring as Harry and Ron scowled at him.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. ‘There are many secret passages and doors within this castle. What did it look like?’ he questioned as he stood and paced behind his desk.

‘The archway opened to a hallway with murals of strange creatures and plaques beneath them. Then the door at the end led to a circular chamber with a pedestal. A huge creature arrived, and we appeared back outside the archway as it vanished, but Hermione wasn't with us. It was like something kicked us out,' Harry explained, looking down at his hands.

‘The Chamber of Griever,’ Dumbledore said with a nod. He moved to his bookcase and pulled out a scroll. He looked at it, before taking it to his desk and laying it down. ‘Yes, there was a Prophecy, but I was never able to find out who it was referring to. It seems our young Miss Granger has a mission to fulfil,’ Dumbledore told them, observing them with twinkling eyes.

‘A Prophecy?’ Ron inquired, looking at the scroll curiously.

‘Is Hermione in danger?’ Harry asked, fearing for his friend.

‘Yes, I imagine she is. Any person who finds themselves in a foreign place would be in danger,’ Dumbledore told them sadly, the twinkle disappearing from his eyes. ‘Miss Granger is an intelligent girl though, and she will have assistance. In what form, I am uncertain, but it will be there,’ Dumbledore advised them, smiling at them.

‘So, that’s it? There’s nothing we can do?’ Ron asked in incredulity.

‘I will look for ways to find out where she is, but until I have anything solid I’m afraid we will just have to pray she will be safe,’ Dumbledore told him, and Ron nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat.

‘What’s the Prophecy?’ Malfoy queried interestedly.

Dumbledore looked back at the scroll. ‘ _“The forsaken creature will reveal himself to the one who holds the key. Only she can break his curse, and free him from his providence. Her journey shall bring the rise of an inherent evil and the restoration of equilibrium”_ ,’ Dumbledore recited, before rubbing his eyes. ‘That is all it says,’ he said, looking at the three of them as they contemplated the words.

Harry and Ron were the first to leave the office, and Dumbledore was surprised when Malfoy stayed behind. ‘Sir, if there is a way to save her, I volunteer,’ Malfoy said sheepishly, looking at his hands.

‘And why is that, Mr Malfoy? Wouldn’t Mr Potter or Mr Weasley be a more fitting choice? I was under the impression you and Miss Granger do not get along?’ Dumbledore questioned him, but the twinkle in his eyes was brighter if possible.

Draco nodded, knowing he was right, but he felt somewhat responsible for her disappearance. ‘Well, when the lights went out, I heard Granger calling out, and I grabbed her to help her get out. A moment later, she was pulled away from me…' he trailed off, lowering his eyes again. ‘If I had just held her tighter, she would still be here,' Draco added, looking back at Dumbledore.

‘I see,’ Dumbledore answered, sitting back pensively. ‘Prophecy is prophecy, Mr Malfoy. If this was meant to happen, then there is nothing you could have done to prevent it. Make sure you are not too hard on yourself for what has happened,’ Dumbledore told him, looking at him over his half-moon spectacles.

‘Yes, sir,' Malfoy answered with a frown and turned to leave.

‘I will keep your request in mind, Mr Malfoy,’ Dumbledore called to him, and Malfoy turned and nodded to him.

‘Thank you, sir,’ Malfoy replied, closing the door on his way out.

‘Interesting,' Dumbledore mumbled to himself, before looking back down at the scroll. He sighed and went to look for any books which may help him discover where Hermione was.


	11. Chapter Ten: Out of the Frying Pan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

**_ Chapter Ten: Out of the Frying Pan _ **

It wasn’t long before the train pulled into East Academy Station and the companions filed out and looked at their surroundings. Hermione gazed at the forests, plains, mountain ranges, and… nothing. There was nothing for miles, no towns or any sign of life except the local wildlife. _Why is there even a train stop here?_ Hermione wondered in confusion.

Quistis led the way from the station onto a well-used dirt path. ‘We just need to get through the forest at the base of Yaulny Canyon which will take us to Monterosa Plateau,’ she told them as they began the trek along the path.

‘How long will it take?’ Hermione asked, looking towards the darkening sky.

‘A few hours. It might be best to make camp in the forest tonight and head to Galbadia Garden in the morning,’ Quistis answered, looking at the sky herself.

‘Do we even have camping equipment?’ Hermione asked, rubbing her hands together to ward off the cold chill creeping into the air.

‘Yes, the Chief gave us some provisions and a couple of small tents,’ Quistis answered, patting the bag on her shoulder.

‘That was… accommodating of her,' Hermione answered with a nod and gathered the Chief thought they may have a use for them later as well. It was a good idea. Hermione would rather that than sleep rough. Though, she would have been able to conjure a tent up quickly enough from whatever foliage was in the forest.

As the companions walked in silence, Hermione let her mind wander to Hogwarts and wondered what everyone was doing. Hermione missed Harry and Ron. Were they trying to find her? Even if they did manage to get here, Hermione wasn’t going to go back until she finished this mission for Griever. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to take away the creature’s pain. His sorrow-filled sapphire eyes pained her, and Hermione wanted to save him.

‘You okay?’ a voice said, pulling Hermione from her thoughts.

Hermione looked up to see Squall had stopped walking and was waiting for her. She realised she had fallen behind while thinking and the others were quite far ahead already. ‘Yes, just thinking,' Hermione answered as Squall fell into step beside her.

‘About your mission?’ Squall probed, not looking at her.

Hermione glanced at him. ‘No, about home,’ she said, crossing her arms.

Squall nodded. ‘We should probably catch up,’ he muttered, walking faster and Hermione’s pace matched his.

Hermione looked at him curiously, wondering why he dropped the subject so quickly. Usually, Squall would be quick to fire questions at her about something he wasn't sure of, but he seemed nonchalant about it. Hermione shrugged it off and wondered when it would be best to tell him she wasn't from this world. She knew she would have to say to them eventually.

_I’ll tell them once we’ve set up camp,_ Hermione decided, looking ahead at her companions. Selphie had taken Quistis’s arm and was talking animatedly, her other arm seemed to have a mind of its own. Zell was walking in front of them, his head down, and his hands stuffed in his pockets. Hermione felt bad for him.

Zell’s personality reminded Hermione of Ron, right down to his rash actions. It usually irritated her to no end when Ron opened his mouth before he thought about the situation. It had earned them so much trouble over the years. Now, it just pained her when Hermione thought about it.

Hermione glanced over at Squall. He was walking with his head down and his hands in his pockets as well. She wondered what Squall was thinking about, knowing she would probably never know how his mind worked. One minute Squall could seem caring, and then the next he was just awful. _What made Squall so reclusive?_ Hermione thought, glancing at the dusty ground as she kicked a few stones.

_Ask him,_ came an unexpected reply from Griever.

Hermione looked back over at Squall and watched as he brushed his hair away from his face. _He doesn’t seem the type to just open up about personal stuff,_ Hermione responded thoughtfully.

_You're different though. If you asked, Squall might just tell you,_ Griever answered, and she could almost feel him shrugging in her mind.

Hermione shook her head. _Why am I any different from anyone else here? Squall’s known these people longer than he’s known me,_ she answered with a sigh. Squall looked over at her then and frowned, but she shook her head. He tilted his head, unconvinced, but nodded and looked away.

_Squall pays more attention to you than anyone else. Ask him, you might be surprised to find he’d be open to you,_ Griever answered.

_Doubtful,_ Hermione replied, snorting out loud which earned her a confused look from Squall.

‘Something funny?’ Squall asked, falling into step beside her.

‘Just thinking about the past,’ Hermione answered, waving it off.

‘No sharing, huh?’ Squall stated rather than asked, glancing over at her.

‘Would you?’ Hermione asked, thinking on what Griever said.

Squall looked thoughtful for a moment. ‘I have nothing to share. Nothing you’d be interested in hearing, anyway,’ he muttered, looking at the ground.

‘Why wouldn’t I be interested?’ Hermione asked with a frown, and she stopped walking.

Squall stopped as well and turned to look at her. ‘Truth be told, I can't remember much of my past. It's all a blur. Probably because it wasn't interesting,' he answered, before turning and continuing.

Hermione watched him go and sighed. _See? Squall doesn’t talk about himself,_ she told Griever who chuckled in response.

_Give him a chance to get used to you first. He’s known you for only a few days. I doubt anyone would tell their life story in that time,_ he answered, and she just knew he was shaking his head.

_You’re right,_ Hermione said, shaking her head. She continued walking along the path, having fallen behind again. _Say, do you think I should tell them where I’m from?_ Hermione asked Griever.

_I thought that would have been one of the first things to tell them. I think it would make this journey a lot easier for you,_ Griever replied pensively.

_I’ll tell them later,_ Hermione answered, nodding to herself.

oOoOo 

It wasn’t long until the companions found a clearing within the forest. ‘This is a good place to set up camp, and it’s not too far from Galbadia Garden!’ Quistis said, taking off the bag and pulling out the tents.

Squall nodded, looking around for any monsters that may have been lurking in the trees. ‘I think we should be safe enough here, but I’ll take a look around,’ Squall told them, receiving nods.

‘Do you want someone to go with you?’ Quistis asked him, while she pulled various camping supplies from the bag the Chief gave them.

Squall paused for a moment, giving Hermione a quick glance before he shook his head. ‘No,’ he muttered, disappearing into the trees.

Hermione frowned at his sudden departure, _I wonder what’s up with him?_ She thought, before shrugging internally and turning to help Quistis.

Selphie and Zell wandered off to find firewood, while Hermione helped Quistis build the two tents the Chief had provided them with. Quistis eyed them critically. ‘They're small, but they'll have to do,' she said, sighing and tilting her head.

Hermione pulled out her wand, forgetting that Quistis didn't know she was a witch and cast a spell on the tents. ‘That should help,' Hermione said with a smile and looked into one of the tents which now resembled a small flat. When Quistis didn't answer, Hermione turned to look at her, and the smile fell from her face at the look of fear Quistis gave her. ‘Oh…' Hermione trailed off, lowering her head and she quickly put her wand away.

‘Y-You’re a…’ Quistis trailed off, and snatched her whip up off the ground where it was sitting next to her bag.

‘Quistis… I can expla-’ Hermione tried to say, but she was cut off.

‘No need, heathen! Your kind are evil! No doubt planning to murder us in our sleep!’ Quistis seethed, getting into a fighting stance.

Hermione felt tears well in her eyes, and she shook her head. ‘I won’t fight you,’ she said, closing her eyes and waiting for the beating.

It never came.

Hermione looked up at Quistis who was watching her warily, but there was confusion there also. ‘Does Squall know?’ Quistis asked, coming out of her fighting stance, but still holding her whip tightly.

‘Yes, they found out in Timber. I stopped one of the resistance members from being hit by an oncoming train,’ Hermione explained, sniffing and wiping the tears from her eyes.

‘What's going on?' came Zell's voice as he entered the clearing with some firewood.

‘Quistis!’ Selphie said, frowning at her.

Quistis lowered her whip, holding it at her side. ‘I didn’t know Hermione was a Sorceress. I just found out,’ she told them, lowering her head.

‘Hermione’s a good Sorceress! She won’t hurt us!’ Selphie said, trying to reassure her.

Quistis nodded, but she still had suspicion in her eyes. Hermione realised it may be a while before Quistis would properly trust her. Hermione would just have to make sure she never hurt anyone with her magic.

Silence fell over the four companions as they set about making a fire. Zell managed to light it, and Hermione used magic to move some logs around it. Zell, Selphie, and Quistis watched this warily, but none of them commented on it. Zell walked to the tent he would be sharing with Squall and took their bags in. ‘Whoa!' he shouted out, making the girls look over at him.

‘What's wrong, Zell?' Selphie asked, walking over to him and looking in the tent. ‘Oh, wow! Look at the space!' she gushed, looking around inside at the two beds, the small kitchen area, a sitting area, and a small fireplace.

‘How…?’ Zell trailed off, looking around in awe.

Hermione and Quistis entered the tent, looking around as well. Quistis crossed her arms, pursing her lips, and Hermione sighed, shaking her head. Maybe it was too soon to be using advanced magic such as this. ‘I enchanted the tents so they would be more comfortable. I imagine we’ll need to use them quite a bit on this journey. It’ll stay the same once it’s been put up again, but taking it down will just feel like you’re taking down a normal sized tent,’ Hermione explained, blushing at the awed looks Selphie and Zell gave her.

‘This is awesome!’ Zell exclaimed, punching the air.

‘What’s awesome?’ came a voice from behind them and they turned to find Squall standing outside the tent.

‘Check this out!’ Zell exclaimed, opening the tent door wider so Squall could see.

Squall peered into the tent, and a frown creased his brow. He cast a side glance at Hermione before shrugging. ‘Huh…' Squall muttered and pulled out of the tent.

Hermione’s shoulders sagged a little, and she wondered what was up with Squall. He was suddenly withdrawn and didn’t seem interested in the slightest about what was going on. The tension returned, hovering over the group like a thick blanket and they all sat down on the logs in stony silence.

Hermione glanced up at Squall who was prodding the fire with a stick, but he didn’t look up at all. Quistis was staring into the fire thoughtfully, her expression sad and defeated. Hermione wondered what was up with her and decided she would ask later as Quistis still seemed wary of her and probably wouldn’t open up any time soon. Selphie was humming under her breath and rocking from side-to-side – nothing seemed to get her down. Zell was throwing feign punches, but even he seemed distracted. Hermione wondered why he had been so quiet as well. The only normal reaction she had seen from Zell since Timber was when he saw the tent and then he lapsed back into brooding.

Hermione picked at her fingers as she stared into the fire. She felt really awkward even after everything that had happened. _Maybe they’re already fed up with me,_ she thought sadly, glancing at her companions in turn.

_Give them time. They barely know you, yet. They barely know each other,_ Griever piped up, and Hermione could almost see him shaking his head.

Hermione nodded to herself. ‘You're right,' she whispered, making everyone look at her, and she blushed, realising she had spoken out loud.

‘Who’s right?’ Selphie asked, tilting her head.

‘Oh, it’s nothing! I was thinking and didn’t mean to speak my thoughts out loud,’ Hermione answered with a nervous laugh, shaking her head.

Squall frowned at her, narrowing his eyes suspiciously and Hermione could tell he didn’t believe her. ‘Right,’ he muttered, looking away and prodding the fire again with his stick.

Selphie’s eyes widened. ‘Heeey, I was just thinking...’ she started, flicking her hair away from her face. ‘There might be some bad news from Galbadian government,’ she said, and the others nodded thoughtfully.

‘I hadn’t thought of that,’ Hermione said, crossing her arms.

Selphie nodded at her. ‘What if we get caught and then get broadcast to the whole world!?’ she exclaimed, looking at the other four worriedly.

‘Whatever happens, happens! We’ll find out more at Galbadia Garden!’ Zell growled, punching the ground.

Hermione frowned at his reaction. ‘What’s wrong, Zell? Have I missed something?’ she asked him, reaching up and touching his arm gently.

Zell shook his head sadly. ‘I… I'm worried about Balamb Garden. If anything happens to Garden, it's all my fault,’ he answered, sitting back down.

‘Why would something happen to it?’ Hermione asked him, looking at the others for some indication of what she missed. _What’s Zell talking about?_

‘I'm the one who said we were all from Garden...’ Zell answered, shaking his head.

Suddenly, it clicked for Hermione, and she realised he was talking about what he said at the TV Station. _Of course! The President said he believed Balamb Garden could have sent an assassin to kill him! How could I have forgotten that?_

_In all fairness, a lot happened, and you were almost killed twice in one day,_ Griever answered.

_Yeah, but that’s no reason to forget a serious threat like that! What if he does attack Balamb Garden?_ Hermione thought, biting her nail as she fretted over that possibility. She shook her head when she received no response, and tuned back into what was being said.

‘You think the president will retaliate on Garden?’ Zell was asking, looking at Squall earnestly.

Squall shrugged. ‘Maybe,' he answered nonchalantly like he didn't really care. Squall got up and made his way over to the tent.

‘Figures…’ Zell muttered, his shoulders sagging. His eyes widened in what Hermione thought might be hope, and he jogged over to Squall, grabbing him by the arms. ‘B-B-But, we have a whole bunch of SeeD’s at Balamb Garden! They wouldn't lose to the Galbadian army, would they?’ Zell asked him.

Squall shrugged. ‘Depends how strong the army is,’ he answered, pulling his arms away from Zell.

‘I know, but...’ Zell trailed off, falling to his knees and lowering his head.

Hermione frowned at the scene before her as she watched Squall pick up his Gunblade and walk towards the trees without as much as a backward glance at them. Hermione moved over to Zell and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. ‘It'll be alright, Zell. It was all a misunderstanding, and it'll get sorted out, you'll see,' she said, trying to comfort him a little, but she didn't even know if her words held any truth. Hermione didn't know how ruthless the Sorceress or the President might be.

Zell nodded to acknowledge he’d heard her before getting to his feet and wandering into the trees opposite to where Squall disappeared. Hermione watched him go, sighing sadly before turning to look at where Squall went.

Seething, Hermione moved towards the trees, but Selphie grabbed her arm. ‘Where are you going?' she asked her, stepping in front of her.

Hermione frowned. ‘To have a kind word with our lovely leader,' she answered angrily and tried to pass Selphie.

‘Uh-uh! We need to guard you, and we can't do that if you disappear into the forest on your own!' Selphie answered defiantly.

Hermione would have laughed if she wasn’t so angry. ‘Selphie, I’ll be fine. I’m just going to catch up with Squall. He wouldn’t have gone too far I can imagine. Plus, I can take care of myself,’ Hermione said, trying to reassure and convince her.

‘But-’ Selphie tried, but Hermione cut her off.

‘I’ll be fine! I’ll scream if something happens,’ Hermione promised, moving past Selphie and disappearing into the trees before the smaller girl could stop her.

Hermione looked around the vast forest and sighed. She imagined it would probably be quite challenging to find Squall. Hermione wandered down the path they had walked up, wondering why she was even bothering. Squall was not going to change his tune towards others just because she was angry with him. This thought made Hermione’s anger deflate a little, and now she just felt stupid for thinking it was a good idea to follow him.

Hermione kicked a stone which disappeared into the bushes. While watching its progress, she noticed a foot, clad in a black leather boot, prodding out of the brush, only slightly visible on the path. Hermione ran over and pushed the bush back.

It was Squall.

Hermione gasped and reached down to check his pulse which seemed fine. She checked him over to see if he had been hurt, but there wasn’t a mark on him save for some dust from the muddy track. ‘Squall?’ Hermione called to him, but he wouldn’t wake.

Hermione bit her lip, wondering what would have happened if she hadn't followed him in her annoyance. Would anyone have gone looking for him? What if a monster had attacked him? Hermione shivered as she thought of the possibilities of what could have gone wrong.

Hermione pulled out her wand and pointed it at Squall. ‘ _Levicorpus_ ,' she whispered, watching him float into the air just above her shoulder. Hermione walked back towards the camp and looked around in confusion upon noticing there was no one around. ‘Hello?' Hermione called but received no response.

Hermione moved towards the tent the guys were staying in and ran straight into Zell who was coming out. Hermione lost her concentration and Squall fell to the ground with a thud. ‘Squall!' Hermione shouted, going to his side.

‘Sorry, Hermione!’ Zell exclaimed, kneeling down as well. ‘I didn’t hear you outside,’ he told her, receiving a nod.

‘I found Squall unconscious in the forest,’ Hermione explained, looking down at Squall’s peaceful face.

‘I think he went into the “dream world” again,' Zell answered, tapping his chin. ‘Selphie and Instructor Trepe fainted not that long ago as well,' he clarified, and Hermione nodded.

‘There's something bizarre going on with that,' Hermione said, and Zell nodded distractedly.

‘Come on, may as well put them up in the same tent for now while we keep an eye on them,’ Zell said, picking up Squall easily and carrying him to the girl’s tent. Hermione followed him and watched as he put Squall on her bed.

oOoOo

It was an hour later before Squall, Selphie and Quistis finally woke up. They groaned and sat up in their respective beds, and Zell stopped pacing which had been giving Hermione a headache.

‘Was it Laguna again?’ Zell asked them, receiving nods from Squall and Selphie.

‘Sir Laguna's in BIG TROUBLE! I hope he'll be ok!’ Selphie exclaimed, clasping her hands together.

Quistis frowned at them. ‘Doesn't seem like the first time for you all. What is this?’ she asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

Squall shook his head, _if it were just me, I could tell the others it was only a crazy dream..._ he thought, frowning and crossing his arms. ‘We'll just be wasting our time trying to figure it out,’ Squall answered, standing up from the bed.

‘It doesn't make sense. How can you put it on hold like this? If it were me, I'd be really freaked out,' Hermione said, shaking her head.

‘We don’t know what’s causing it, so there’s no point trying to make assumptions. I’ll tell the Headmaster once we get back to Balamb,’ Squall said, crossing his arms again.

‘I agree with Hermione, Squall. I think we need to try and figure this out. Headmaster Cid may not even know what’s going on,’ Zell answered, tapping his chin.

‘There’s no point,’ Squall responded with a note of finality.

‘But, what if it’s important?’

‘Fine! If you want to waste time figuring it out, then be my guest,’ Squall said, shaking his head and leaving the tent.

Zell’s shoulders slumped. ‘I guess he’s right,’ he muttered, sitting down next to Selphie who rubbed his back.

‘Why do you let him speak to you like that?’ Hermione asked Zell, who just shook his head in response. Hermione sighed and exited the tent. She found Squall sitting by the fire poking it with a stick. ‘What is with you? What is your problem with us?’ Hermione asked, storming over to him.

_Not this again…_ Squall thought, closing his eyes in frustration. He should have realised Hermione would be on his case.

‘They look to you as their leader, and you are setting a horrible example to them by acting like a bastard! Zell was only trying to help, and you just threw his opinions back in his face like they meant nothing!’ Hermione seethed, placing her hands on her hips.

‘Look, I am just as worried about these dreams as they are, but what can we do about it? It’s out of our control! We don’t know what’s causing it and we’ll be here for days trying to figure it out! It’s a waste of time!’ Squall shouted, taking a few steps towards Hermione in his anger.

Hermione glared at him. ‘That’s not the point, and you know it! You’re always treating them like shit. Does it give you great pleasure to see them put down by your words?’ Hermione asked him, taking a step towards him.

Squall took a step closer until their chests were almost touching. ‘Why do you care so much? You barely know any of us, yet you come here and think we’re just going to change? People don’t work like that,’ Squall whispered, his anger deflating.

‘You're an asshole, and even if you wanted to change I don't think you would ever let yourself,' Hermione said through gritted teeth, not realising Squall had moved even closer, and their chests were actually touching.

‘And because of that, you will always be disappointed,’ Squall muttered, and Hermione noticed him glance down, looking at her mouth.

It hit Hermione then how close they were standing and took a step away from him. ‘I guess I will,' she whispered and stormed away back into the tent.

Squall closed his eyes and pressed his fist to his head, _she’s a fucking handful,_ he thought to himself. He sat back down on the log next to the fire, staring into it, _why does she care so much?_ Squall wondered, looking over at the door of the tent where Hermione disappeared.

oOoOo 

Hermione couldn’t sleep, and she got up from her bed, stretching. She didn’t know what time it was, only that everyone was probably still sleeping. Hermione wandered out of her tent, and to her surprise, Squall was sitting on the log where she had left him earlier. Hermione moved over to him. ‘Have you slept?’ Hermione asked, sitting down next to him.

‘I couldn’t sleep,’ Squall muttered, crossing his arms.

Hermione ignored the fact that his arm was now touching hers, and tried to concentrate on the fire. ‘I’m sorry about earlier,’ she whispered, blushing at some of the harsh words she said. Hermione looked away, not wanting to make eye contact with him.

Hermione felt a hand reach around her face and take hold of her chin. Squall gently turned her head, so she was looking at him. ‘You were right…' he whispered, and Hermione was shocked when he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers.

Squall ran his tongue along her lips, begging entry, and Hermione opened her mouth to accommodate, feeling his tongue caress hers gently. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, reaching up and fisting his hair which was as soft as it looked. Hermione moaned as Squall ran his hand down her front, grasping her breast and squeezing it, and she bit his lip in response, eliciting a moan from him. Squall ran his hand down further until he reached the top of her leggings and pushed his hand into them and her underwear, finding her wet centre. Squall rubbed her core, making Hermione moan, and grab his hair, and she cried out when he entered two fingers, pumping them in a rhythm which had her rocking against him.

Squall leaned his head against hers. ‘Wake up…’ he whispered, pumping his fingers faster.

Hermione moaned, pulling back in confusion. She was so close. ‘What?’ she asked, not understanding what he was talking about.

‘Wake up,’ Squall repeated, rubbing his thumb in time with his fingers.

Hermione pulled away from him, just as she felt like she was about to climax. She blinked and realised she was lying on her bed in the tent, her own fingers resting inside her core. Hermione pulled her hand out, and sighed… _Please tell me this isn’t happening._

Hermione looked around, hoping she hadn’t been making any noises while she had been dreaming and noticed Selphie and Quistis were not in the tent. She sat up, and stretched, looking at the mouth of the tent, realising it was daylight. Hermione got up and closed the tent door so she could have some privacy. She grabbed her wand and tapped a bowl next to the bed to fill it with warm lavender scented water. Hermione used a cloth to wash and washed her hair with a small jug, and then got dressed in some black leggings, and a long grey top. Hermione pulled on her boots – one of the many things she got given by Cid – and tied her wet hair up in a messy bun.

Hermione steeled herself as she exited the tent, and noticed Selphie and Quistis sitting on a log by the fire. ‘Hey,’ Hermione said, sitting down and stifling a yawn.

‘Morning!’ Selphie chirped, prodding the fire with a stick. ‘Did you sleep well?’ she asked, smiling at Hermione.

‘Sure, much better than I would have had we been sleeping rough,’ Hermione answered, scratching her head. She was worried they may have heard her making noises in her sleep. As Hermione thought about it, she felt her face burn.

‘Yes, it was comfortable,’ Quistis agreed, glancing at Hermione with a slight frown.

Hermione sighed, hating that she was making Quistis feel uncomfortable with her presence. ‘Where are the guys?’ Hermione asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

‘We haven't seen Squall at all since last night. Zell said he wasn't in the tent when he woke up. Zell's gone to get some more firewood, as we didn't know how long we'd have to wait until Squall comes back,' Selphie answered, throwing some more sticks on the fire.

‘Maybe he’s just patrolling?’ Hermione asked, but she had a feeling she knew why Squall wasn’t there. It was because of her.

‘I don't know…' Selphie muttered, looking away from Hermione. Selphie eventually looked back at her and sighed. ‘Zell thinks Squall may have left. He doesn't even know if Squall went to bed last night. After your… um…' Selphie trailed off, looking away in embarrassment at eavesdropping on the argument. ‘Well, Zell said Squall stormed off into the forest and didn't come back. Zell was awake for a while, and Squall was gone for hours,' Selphie told her, and Hermione crossed her arms.

‘Surely, he wouldn’t just leave? It was a stupid argument. Things were said, but we’re both adults…’ Hermione trailed off, shaking her head. _Griever?_ She said into her mind, hoping he would hear her.

_Hermione?_ Griever answered, sounding strained and Hermione frowned.

_Are you okay?_ Hermione asked him, feeling worried about her constant companion.

_I am fine. What is wrong?_ Griever asked, and Hermione heard him wince.

Hermione frowned, wanting to know if he was okay, but thought it better that she not pry. _I don’t suppose you know where Squall is and if he’s coming back?_ Hermione asked instead.

Griever tutted. _You were pretty harsh to him last night. He’s probably just away moping. It’s normal for him,_ Griever answered, and Hermione could almost see him shaking his head.

_Should I be worried at all?_ Hermione asked, and realised Griever may have had access to her thoughts while she was dreaming about Squall. The idea made her feel nauseatingly violated.

_No, he’ll turn up, and don’t worry about that. I blocked you out when you started thinking along those lines. Those thoughts are none of my business,_ Griever said, and Hermione could hear the amusement in his tone which made her blush deeper.

Hermione placed her head in her arms and groaned making Quistis and Selphie frown at her. ‘You okay?’ Selphie asked her, tilting her head.

‘Yeah, just feeling pretty done in,’ Hermione lied, smiling at her as reassuringly as she could.

The girls stood when they heard rustling in the trees behind them, and Hermione pulled out her wand, while Quistis and Selphie grabbed their weapons. Zell emerged carrying firewood, and Squall was behind him. The girls relaxed, and sat back down, though Hermione felt her face burning up when she looked at Squall.

‘Where were you last night?’ Selphie asked Squall, placing a hand on her hip. Hermione would have laughed at the petite girl squaring up to Squall, but she was too mortified by her own traitorous thoughts.

‘Just checking the area,’ Squall muttered, moving towards the tent he was sharing with Zell and disappearing into it without another word or glance back.

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _If I’m going to be having fantasies about Squall, this journey is going to be so awkward,_ Hermione thought to herself, ignoring the answering chuckle from Griever.


	12. Chapter Eleven: Galbadia Garden; SeeD’s New Objective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

**_ Chapter Eleven: Galbadia Garden; SeeD’s New Objective _ **

Squall appeared from the tent, moving over to the logs and fire. He glanced at Hermione who looked away from him; she looked embarrassed, but he couldn’t understand why. _Maybe she feels bad for what she said? She shouldn’t, she was right…_ Squall trailed off in his musings and put it to the back of his mind. ‘We should probably leave, the day's getting on,' Squall said, crossing his arms and looking towards the exit from the forest that would take them on to Monterosa Plateau and Galbadia Garden beyond.

‘Yeah, let's get everything packed up, and we'll head off,' Quistis said, standing up.

‘I'll handle that,' Hermione said, pulling out her wand. She started to cast a spell to pack the camp up but stopped when she noticed her companions flinch. ‘Or… we could do it the old-fashioned way,' she muttered, putting her wand away and moving over to the tents.

No one said anything as they watched Hermione pulling the pins out of the tent she shared with Quistis and Selphie, but they all looked at each other almost guiltily. Squall sighed and made the first move to help her by starting to pull the other tent down, and soon the others followed.

Once everything was packed up and stored safely in their respective bags, Hermione watched as they headed towards the dirt path. She lowered her head, and her shoulders slumped. Squall turned back when he realised she wasn’t following and looked at her. ‘Hermione?’ he called to her, making the others stop and turn towards her.

‘I…’ Hermione stopped, shaking her head. She didn’t realise telling them the truth would be so hard. ‘I have a confession,’ Hermione whispered, looking down at the ground. Hermione closed her eyes as she heard the shuffling of footsteps coming back over to her.

Hermione felt a gloved hand under her chin, and she looked up to find stony blue eyes looking back at her. ‘What is it?' Squall asked, his expression betraying no emotions.

For a moment, Hermione forgot what she wanted to say as she stared into Squall's eyes. She shook herself mentally, _no I need to tell them,_ she thought, taking a deep breath and looking away from Squall. ‘I’m not from here,’ Hermione whispered, and then kicked herself for being so vague.

‘Well that much is obvious,’ Zell piped up, shaking his head.

‘No, what I mean is…' Hermione trailed off and looked at a spot over Squall's shoulder. ‘I'm… n-not from your w-world,' she stuttered, closing her eyes and awaited the questions they would bombard her with.

Nothing.

Hermione looked up slowly and looked at them all in turn. Quistis was breathing quickly, and her face had gone pale; Selphie was frowning, her head tilted to the side like she was still trying to process the information, and Zell had a similar expression though he just looked confused. Hermione moved her eyes to Squall and tears came to her eyes at his blank, stoic expression. She shook her head, letting the tears fall.

‘So, what does that mean?’ Selphie finally asked after several minutes of stony silence.

Hermione looked over at her, reaching up to wipe her tears away. ‘I… my friends and I found a room in the school I go to. I was taken and brought here,’ Hermione answered, feeling very small. She looked around at their blank faces, _they don’t believe me,_ she thought, her shoulders sagging.

_They will give them some time to process everything. It’s quite the revelation,_ Griever said with a sigh.

Hermione nodded internally and looked back at them. ‘I'm sorry, I understand if you want me to leave. It's a lot to take in and I know it sounds completely unbelievable, but it's the truth. I never asked for this, or to put anyone else through it. I told Cid everything, but I didn't expect him to send me away on this journey. I-' Hermione was cut off in her ramblings.

‘Cid knows?’ Squall asked, crossing his arms and frowning at her.

‘Yes, and he was the one who suggested I come with you so I can complete my mission and go home. I was hoping to find out more about my mission and how to get home on the way,’ Hermione answered, shaking her head.

‘Then come with us,' Quistis said, making everyone look at her. ‘Cid gave you all a mission to protect Hermione. He must have had a good reason,' she reasoned, and they all nodded, except Squall who stared at Hermione suspiciously.

‘Yeah, the Headmaster wouldn’t have told us to do it if he didn’t believe her! Maybe we ought to just accept it for now. We can always ask him about it once we return to Garden,’ Selphie said, smiling at Hermione and winking.

Hermione smiled back at her, glad to know at least two of them were willing to stand with her. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered, more tears filling her eyes.

Squall and Zell still didn't seem convinced, and Hermione sighed knowing she couldn't expect them just to believe her. Hell, she was surprised Quistis said anything at all, and Selphie was Selphie and accepted pretty much anything.

‘I’ll discuss this with the Headmaster when we get back to Garden,’ Squall finally said, before turning on his heel and walking away down the dirt path.

The others watched him go for a moment before following, though they all glanced at Hermione blankly first. Hermione took a deep breath and tried to control her shaking hands. She guessed she would still have to follow them and accept they would be awkward around her for the moment.

Though Hermione was expecting a barrage of questions, none of them asked anything. If she had learned this about someone, she would be curious and want to ask questions, but none of them seemed interested at all. Maybe it was the shock. Hermione would explain anything they wanted if they asked, but decided for now that they were still processing it.

Hermione looked up from her thoughts, watching Quistis disappear around a bend in the dirt path ahead and headed after them. She caught up to them on the edge of the forest and looked at the vast desert valley: Monterosa Plateau. There was nothing here either, just a long stretch of empty plains. In the distance, she could just make out a structure and assumed this was Galbadia Garden.

‘We’re almost there!’ Zell exclaimed, pointing in the distance and confirming Hermione’s assumption.

‘Be on your guard,’ Squall said, reaching up and grasping the handle of his Gunblade. ‘Monsters lurk in these plains,’ he explained, his eyes darting across the expanse to pre-empt any attacks as they crossed.

They all nodded and followed him across the plateau. For a while, they came across nothing, no monsters or any people at all. As they drew closer, Squall suddenly held his arm out effectively stopping them. Hermione frowned and looked around him, only to see a bizarre creature floating in front of them. ‘What is it?' Hermione asked him, pulling her wand out.

‘A Blood Soul, nasty little bastards. Get ready, it’s more formidable than it looks,’ Quistis answered, taking out her whip.

Selphie and Squall got their weapons ready, while Zell cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms. Without warning, the Blood Soul moved, and it was in front of them. Hermione dodged it as it sped towards her, and Zell grabbed it, punching it a few times before it got away. It then felt the sting of Quistis’s whip, and Squall swung at it with his Gunblade.

It was still alive, and it looked angry. It let out a high-pitched screech making them cover their ears. It was enough time for it to move in again and headed straight towards her. ‘Protego!' Hermione shouted, and a protective bubble appeared around Selphie. The Blood Soul bounced off it, dragging its razor-sharp teeth down the side. Hermione pointed her wand at it. ‘Incendio!’ she shouted and fire burst from her wand, setting the ugly monster on fire. It screeched in agony before falling to the ground, dead.

Hermione turned to the others. ‘Everyone okay?’ she asked, and then gulped at the looks they were giving her.

‘Yeah, we’re fine,’ Squall answered, sheathing his Gunblade and crossing his arms.

Hermione sighed and pointed her wand at Selphie. ‘Finite Incantatem,’ she whispered, tears coming to her eyes as the protective bubble lifted. Without another word, Hermione turned and continued heading towards the large structure in the distance, knowing they would catch up to her.

Selphie watched her go, feeling sad for the girl. The young girl had already realised Hermione wasn’t out to hurt them, she just wanted to help. ‘I think we need to trust her more. So, she’s a Sorceress, who cares. I genuinely think she’s not a danger to us,’ Selphie piped up, making everyone look at her.

‘Maybe,’ Squall muttered, turning to look at Hermione who was quite a bit ahead of them now.

‘Come on, let's catch up to her and do our job,' Zell said, and the others nodded. They all fell into a jog and quickly caught up to Hermione.

Hermione didn’t look at any of them, but she did notice some of the tension seemed to have eased which made her feel slightly better. Hermione just hoped there was a library at Galbadia Garden, so she could disappear and lose herself in her beloved books. She needed a break from all the judgement she was getting.

Hermione missed home. At least people weren’t afraid of her there, and she was accepted by others like her, even by some Muggles. This place was just so different, and she wasn't even sure if anyone uses magic except Sorceresses and there didn't seem to be any men who could wield magic. It was just so different, and Hermione was getting a little fed up with being judged as some heretic when she had no intention of hurting anyone if she could help it.

oOoOo

It wasn’t long before they reached Galbadia Garden, and Hermione immediately saw how different this one was compared to Balamb Garden. As they entered the long path leading to the reception area, the companions looked around at all the cadets flying around the Garden in single flying machines.

As they reached the reception, a girl stopped them. ‘Which academy are you from? You sure don't look like students from Galbadia Garden,’ she said, eyeing them curiously.

‘We’re from Balamb Garden. We need to see the Headmaster here,’ Quistis explained, taking charge of the conversation.

‘Oh, well I think he’s in a meeting, but I’m sure reception will let you know if he’s free,’ she said, flicking her hair behind her shoulder and walking away. 

The group moved towards the barriers leading into the Garden proper. ‘Wow... Completely different...' Selphie stated in awe as she looked around the vast hall. 

‘Sure is quiet,’ Zell muttered, crossing his arms.

‘I like it,' Squall stated, making Hermione look at him with a small smile. He looked away from her and crossed his arms causing the smile drop from her face, and she sighed.

‘It's totally different from Trabia Garden as well,’ Selphie said, tilting her head.

Quistis headed over to the reception desk and after a few moments of hushed conversation and signing paperwork, she came back over to them. ‘Could you leave this one up to me?’ Quistis asked, turning to look at Squall. ‘I've been here several times, and I know the Headmaster pretty well,’ she explained with a shrug.

Squall nodded. ‘Okay, we'll leave it to you,' he said and watched as Quistis went through the barriers.

Quistis turned back to them. ‘I'll go and explain our situation,’ she said in parting before heading off into the Garden to meet with the Headmaster.

‘I wonder if there’s a library here,’ Hermione said, looking around for any signs which may point to one.

Squall turned to her. ‘Maybe, but we may not have a chance to explore. We’re here for a reason, not to look around,’ he said, walking away through the barriers.

‘What’s his problem?’ Hermione muttered, feeling put out.

‘It’s Squall, I wouldn’t take him too seriously, Hermione,’ Selphie said, placing a comforting hand on Hermione’s shoulder.

The three companions looked around as a voice projected from the speaker on the wall. ‘ _Attention, SeeD party from Balamb Garden: Please wait in the second-floor Reception Room_.’

‘Come on, we better do as requested,’ Zell said, leading them through the barriers.

Hermione followed the others at a more sedated pace. She was still upset at how Squall was treating her now after her revelation to them. Hermione didn't understand why it even fazed him. Squall didn't seem the type to care about anything. Hermione looked up at him from where he had taken the lead. Squall had his hands stuffed in his pockets, and his head was down. He looked deep in thought, and Hermione suddenly yearned to know what he was thinking. Did he hate her now? Did he ever even like her?

_Don’t worry about Squall, he’ll come around. This is just the way he is,_ Griever said in her mind, his tone reassuring.

_How do you know him so well?_ Hermione asked him, wondering how Griever could know Squall and his companions at all.

_I know a lot of things,_ was the answer, and Hermione sighed. She should have expected Griever wouldn’t indulge information.

The companions headed up some stairs to the second floor and looked around. Squall pointed to the sign which said "Second Floor Reception Waiting Room" and they headed over to the guard standing outside. ‘Hello, we're the students who have arrived from Balamb Garden,' Squall said in greeting, nodding his head to the guard.

‘This is the reception room. Please wait here until you hear from the master,’ the guard said, opening the door for them and standing aside to let them enter.

They entered the room and made themselves comfortable. Zell took a seat on one of the couches and Selphie sat next to him. Squall stood against the wall near the door, and crossed his arms, looking at the floor like it was the most exciting thing in the world. Hermione sighed and went to the window, looking out at the vast training grounds for the students of this Garden.

Hermione realised they didn’t quite believe her story, at least she knew Squall didn’t. If Harry and Ron had been here, at least she would have had them to back her, but then she probably wouldn’t have needed Squall and the others. Hermione realised she probably would never have even met them. This thought saddened her, but she wondered if it would have been for the best. Hermione felt like an outsider, an unwanted guest in their party. She reached up and flicked away the tear threatening to fall from her eye.

Over at the other side of the room, Squall watched the array of emotions that flitted across Hermione’s face as she stared out the window. He watched her flick away the tears and realised he may have been a bit harsh on her. It didn’t matter where Hermione was from, what mattered was his mission to protect her. Squall closed his eyes, and his traitorous mind accepted the wish that he was the one wiping her tears away…

The silence was thick, and Selphie let out a sigh as she stood and moved towards one of the windows next to Hermione. ‘I wonder if they have a Garden Festival here, too?’ she said out loud, looking down at the grounds.

‘Doubtful,' Zell said, shaking his head as Selphie and Hermione turned to look at him. ‘It just doesn't seem like their thing. They would more likely have a Military Parade than a Garden Festival,' he elucidated, and the girls nodded.

‘Yeah, you’re probably right. They all seem so serious,’ Selphie said, turning back to the window.

‘So, did Quistis attend this Garden?’ Hermione asked the others, but all she received were shrugs.

‘She may have come here for some classes, but that would have been it,’ Squall answered, glancing over at her before looking back at the wall.

‘Huh…’ Hermione muttered, turning back to the window.

Zell stood and paced the floor in front of the couch. ‘How long are they gonna make us wait?’ he muttered, punching his palm and cracking his knuckles.

oOoOo

It was some time before Quistis came back, and she looked quite upset. Everyone stood up and went over to her. ‘How'd it go?’ Squall asked her, taking in her frazzled state.

Quistis sighed. ‘They understood our situation,’ she confirmed making them all breathe a sigh of relief. Quistis turned to Zell. ‘And Balamb Garden is safe,’ she told him, and he nodded, sitting down with his head in his hands. Hermione smiled at him knowing this information would ease his mind.

‘So, what happened? What did they say about it?’ Hermione asked her, sitting down and rubbing Zell’s back as he seemed like he was holding back tears of relief.

Quistis turned to her. ‘The attack on the president in Timber was classified as an independent action. There was an official notice from the Galbadian government saying that Balamb Garden is not being held responsible,’ she explained to them, shaking her head and crossing her arms, her eyes downcast.

Zell looked up at her. ‘So, Seifer's taking all the blame?’ he asked her with a frown.

Quistis closed her eyes. ‘The trial's over, and the sentence has been carried out...’ she cut herself off, breathing deeply as tears entered her eyes.

‘He was executed?’ Hermione asked, sitting back on the couch with a frown. ‘Isn’t that a little over the top? I mean, I know he attacked the President, but he was just a teenager…' Hermione trailed off, shaking her head. Seifer was the same age as they were… and now he was dead? Just like that, a young life was gone. What if it had been Ron or Harry? Hell, even Malfoy? Hermione felt tears come to her eyes at the thought… she didn't have any love for Seifer, but she would never wish death on him. ‘Do you think he was executed for helping Rinoa?’ Hermione asked them, wiping tears away from her eyes, and noticed Squall looking at her in confusion, but she ignored him.

‘It seems that way. Rinoa’s Resistance Group is what got Seifer involved in this. I’m sure Seifer was prepared for the consequences of helping them. I don’t think he did it for them entirely though,’ Quistis said, shaking her head and sitting down. ‘I met Rinoa a few times, and she seemed nice. Always telling Seifer not to get involved because she didn’t want him to get hurt. She’ll be devastated when she finds out,’ Quistis added, sighing sadly.

‘You knew her before all this?’ Hermione asked, leaning forward in her seat.

‘I met her a couple of times when she came to visit Seifer. They had been dating since last summer. She always seemed very nice,’ Quistis replied, looking at her with a frown. 

‘Fair enough,’ Hermione answered, leaning back again with a frown.

‘You really hated Seifer, didn't you, Zell!?’ Selphie said, tilting her head at Zell.

Zell nodded but sighed. ‘Yeah, but... He was from Garden...He was one of us,’ he answered, shaking his head. ‘If I can, I wanna get revenge,’ he muttered, punching his palm.

‘Kinda sad...’ Selphie said, leaning her head against the window.

‘I didn't like the guy, but executed?’ Zell muttered, crossing his arms. ‘That... bastard…’ he whispered, shaking his head.

Quistis nodded. ‘I don't have any good memories of him. I've seen some troubled children, but he was beyond troubled. Well, he wasn't really a bad guy,’ she said, sighing as more tears came to her eyes. ‘Seifer... Never to be a SeeD,’ Quistis whispered, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

Squall looked at them all in confusion as he listened to them talk about Seifer. He shook his head and moved to the window, staring down at the grounds. _He wasn’t really a bad guy… he was one of us? Seifer… you’ve become just a memory,_ he thought, shaking his head. _So, this is what death is all about? They hate the guy to his face and behind his back while he’s alive, but as soon as he dies he’s “one of us”?_ Squall clenched his fists, not understanding what was making him feel so angry. He turned around, looking around at everyone and their sombre expressions. Squall’s eyes stopped on Hermione, and the anger he felt seemed to intensify by two-fold. _Why does she even care? She's not "one of us", and she didn't know him._ Squall clenched his teeth, trying to calm down.

‘If only Seifer had never met Rinoa, maybe he’d still be here,’ Hermione muttered, crossing her arms.

‘Why? Is there something important I’m missing?’ Quistis asked, looking between Hermione and Squall.

Hermione looked up at Squall who didn't seem to be bothered by the current conversation. If anything, he looked like he was having some sort of internal struggle.

Hermione frowned and turned back to Quistis. ‘No, I don't think so, but Zone and Watts, her companions in the Resistance, said Rinoa changed a few weeks ago. Like she became a completely different person overnight. Rinoa even tried to murder me…' Hermione trailed off, looking away and she thought about it. The wounds had still not healed properly. Thankfully she'd managed to hide them with a spell.

‘What!? When was this? Why was I not told?’ Quistis asked, standing up in shock.

‘It’s not important,’ Squall said, making everyone turn towards him.

Hermione felt tears sting her eyes again as she looked at Squall in shock at what he just said. So her life was not important to him or his mission to protect her. If she died, he wouldn’t care. Hermione felt the tears fall and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

‘How could you!?’ Quistis shouted at him, walking over and jabbing him in the chest. ‘You are truly heartless, Squall Leonhart!’ she added, frowning up at him angrily. Quistis turned on her heel and left the room, intending on finding Hermione.

‘Seriously,’ Selphie said, shaking her head and following.

‘What the hell just happened?’ Zell asked, but Squall ignored him and left the room. Zell shook his head, trying to understand what that was all about before following.

oOoOo

Squall turned into the restroom next to the reception room they had waited in. He went to the sink and ran the tap, letting the water flow into his hands and splashed it on his face. Squall looked up at the mirror and hated himself. ‘What the fuck is wrong with me?' he asked his reflection, not expecting an answer.

Squall grasped the sides of the sink until his knuckles turned white, before reaching back and punching the mirror, making it smash into pieces. He looked at his hand which was shredded from the broken glass, and picked out a few of the more visible bits of glass, wincing from the pain.

Squall shook his head and grabbed some loo roll, wrapping his hand in it before leaving the restroom. He looked around, intending on finding Hermione and maybe fixing some of the damage he had caused. Squall knew Hermione would be pissed at him, and may not even want to see him.

Squall walked down the corridor, following the signs for the library, expecting he would find her there as she wanted to check it out before they left. He kicked himself internally, knowing he really had stepped over the line with her. Squall knew Hermione would probably never forgive him for seeming so uncaring where her life was concerned, but in truth, he cared more than he would even admit to himself. Squall was unaccustomed to the feeling, and it was terrifying him. So, he lashed out and hurt those around him. It was what he had always done. Squall never wanted to get close to anyone, yet found himself drawn to Hermione in a way he hadn't experienced before.

Squall shook his head, deciding he would just find her, apologise, and move on. It was all he could do. 

Squall sped up his pace, ending up in the large hall. He was just about to turn down towards the left hallway, following the sign for the library, when a voice called him. ‘Yo! Squall!’

Squall turned to find Raijin and Fujin running towards him. ‘What are you doing here?’ he asked them, frowning as they came to a stop in front of him.

Raijin caught his breath. ‘What am I doin'? I'm a messenger, ya know? Brought you a new order from Headmaster Cid, ya know?’ he said, placing his hands on his hips and nodding.

‘What kind of order?’ Squall asked them, crossing his arms. _What the hell? We only came here to get help with returning to Balamb Garden._

Raijin shrugged. ‘I dunno,’ he answered, shaking his head. ‘Gave it to the head honcho here. Just did what Headmaster Cid wanted, ya know?’ he explained, pointing to where they came from.

‘EXPLAIN,’ Fujin said in her robotic voice which gave Squall the creeps.

‘We were suppose'ta go to Timber. But the trains have stopped, so we had no other choice but to come here. Kinda relieved to see you guys here,’ Raijin explained, scratching his head.

Fujin looked around for a moment, before turning back to Squall. ‘SEIFER?’ she asked, tilting her head.

‘Oh yeah! Wasn’t Seifer with you?’ Raijin asked, elaborating on Fujin’s meaning.

Squall sighed, shaking his head. ‘I believe Seifer may be dead…’ he trailed off, crossing his arms. Fujin and Raijin shook their heads as Squall continued, ‘I heard he was tried in Galbadia and then executed...’ he told them, looking away to the ground.

‘LIES!' Fujin barked, shaking her head.

Raijin burst out laughing then. ‘That's gotta be a lie, ya know!? There's no way he'd put up with a trial, ya know!? Or an execution for that matter! It's just so not Seifer, ya know!?’ Raijin replied, grinning and shaking his head.

‘FIND!’ Fujin said as an order to Raijin.

Raijin turned to her in surprise. ‘O'What! We're gonna meet up with Seifer?’ he asked her, before turning back to Squall. ‘Well, see ya, Squall. We're gonna head off to Galbadia to look for Seifer,’ he confirmed, and the two of them ran off towards the exit.

Squall shook his head before heading towards the hallway again to look for Hermione, but an announcement from the speaker stopped him. ‘ _Attention, SeeD party from Balamb Garden: Please assemble in front of the gate_ ,’ it said.

Squall sighed. _Of course,_ he thought in irritation before turning and heading for the barriers.

Quistis was standing there with her arms crossed. When he approached her, she narrowed her eyes at him. ‘Okay, it's time to meet. Let's go,’ she muttered, turning away from him.

‘Quistis?’ Squall called to her, making her stop and look at him. ‘Where’s Hermione?’ he asked her, looking away for a moment.

Quistis sighed and turned back to him. ‘She’ll be at the front gate for the meeting. What you said really hurt her though. I know she’s not one of us, but what you said was awful,’ Quistis said, shaking her head.

Squall nodded. ‘I know…’ he trailed off, stuffing his hands in his pockets. ‘I just want to apologise to her,’ he muttered, looking down at his boots.

Quistis nodded. ‘You should,’ she agreed, turning and walking away from him.

Squall looked up, watching her go before sighing and following. By the time he caught up to them, they all seemed pretty restless. Zell was throwing feign punches; Selphie was crouching down playing with a stone; Quistis was pacing; and Hermione was leaning against the wall, looking at the ground.

Squall took a deep breath and moved over to Hermione. She watched him warily but made no comment. ‘I'm…' Squall trailed off, shaking his head. ‘I'm really sorry for what I said. I don't even know why I said it…' he trailed off again, closing his eyes.

Hermione nodded, looking away from him. She was still hurt and angry at the comment he made. ‘I know this has been hard on all of you,’ she whispered, making him look at her. ‘I never asked for this or to be hunted,' Hermione said, turning to look back at him, tears burning her eyes again. ‘I just want this to be over, and I want to go home,' she told him, reaching up and wiping the tears away before crossing her arms.

Squall nodded. ‘I know,’ he muttered, leaning against the wall next to her. Squall looked at her and fought off the urge to rub her back comfortingly. He was probably the last person she needed that from.

Hermione looked at Squall and noticed the tissue wrapped around his hand. Without thinking she grabbed his hand before he could stop her and unwrapped the tissue. Hermione looked at the cuts, seeing some glass. ‘What happened?’ she asked him, pulling out her wand.

‘I… punched a mirror?’ Squall answered, looking away from her.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, shaking her head and lowering her wand. She lowered the tip of her wand to his hand. ‘Evenesco,’ she whispered, making the glass disappear from his hand. ‘Episkey,’ she said, and the cuts healed.

Squall looked at his hand. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered, his eyes roaming over her face like he was searching for something.

Hermione blushed and turned away from him. ‘You’re welcome,’ she muttered, looking at the ground.

‘How much longer?’ Selphie complained, standing up and sighing heavily. This snapped Squall back to attention, and he turned away from Hermione, realising he had been staring at her the whole time.

Quistis shrugged. ‘The master should be coming with the orders soon,’ she told her, placing a hand on her hip.

‘Do you think that’s him?’ Hermione asked, pointing to the car speeding towards them.

‘Probably,’ Squall said, crossing his arms.

‘Should I stand with you guys?’ Hermione asked, standing next to Squall as they lined up ready to greet the Headmaster.

Squall shrugged. ‘He probably knows you’re a client we’re working for, but if it makes you feel more comfortable then feel free to,’ he answered, focusing on the car as it came to a stop in front of them. Hermione frowned for a moment, before moving just behind Squall to show she wasn’t a SeeD.

The Headmaster exited the car, and the four saluted him as he stepped towards them. The Headmaster looked at Hermione for a moment with raised eyebrows but didn't comment as he looked at the rest of them. ‘Good day, my name is Martine, and I am the Headmaster of Galbadia Garden,' he greeted, nodding his head to the four SeeD's. ‘I have official orders from Headmaster Cid addressed to you,’ he explained, gesturing for his assistant to come over to him. ‘Following regulations, I have gone over these orders. After careful consideration of our options, we have decided to fully assist and cooperate with Headmaster Cid. Actually, we too, have been planning for this quite some time now,’ Martine said vaguely, taking the paperwork from his assistant. ‘In order to stress the importance of this mission, I must first brief you on the current situation,’ he said, looking at them, and then his eyes moved to Hermione who was still standing behind Squall.

Squall felt Hermione shift behind him nervously, and he looked at Martine with a questioning glance. Squall made a movement with his hand to Hermione to indicate he was aware of the looks she was getting, and Hermione took a deep breath.

‘At ease,' Martine said, and the four SeeD's relaxed their stance. ‘Before I continue, may I ask why a young lady is standing behind you?' he asked Squall, crossing his arms.

Squall nodded and saluted him. ‘Yes, sir,’ he said, bowing his head respectfully. ‘She is not a member of SeeD and so did not think she should be required to greet you in the same manner. She is a client of ours who we are working for under instruction from Headmaster Cid,’ Squall explained, bowing his head once more before going back to easing his stance.

‘I see,’ Martine said, nodding his head. ‘Very well, I do not believe she should be privy to this information,’ he said, looking at Hermione pointedly.

Squall turned and nodded to her, and Hermione frowned but walked away somewhat so she wouldn’t hear the conversation. Hermione could understand; she was not a member of SeeD, but she still felt left out.

‘My apologies, but what I am about to provide you with is confidential information exclusive only to you,’ Martine said, and they all bowed their heads in acknowledgement. ‘You all know about the Sorceress being appointed as the peace ambassador for the Galbadian government. However, this ambassador thing is just a cover-up. There will be no peace talks, only threats. The Sorceress creates fear among people. Therefore, peace talks are impossible. Galbadia is planning to use this fear to negotiate favourable conditions for itself. It is clear that Galbadia's ultimate goal is world domination,’ he told them, pacing in front of them. ‘Garden is no exception, either. It is a fact that the Sorceress is planning to use this Garden as her base,’ he informed them, and they looked back in surprise at this information. ‘We have very few options available to us. We entrust world peace, and the future to you,’ Martine finished, and they all saluted him. Martine moved forward and handed the orders to Squall. ‘Details of the mission are enclosed in these official orders,’ he explained, moving away from them. Martine watched Squall scan the papers for a moment. ‘Any questions?’ he asked them once Squall had closed the paperwork back up.

‘The orders say by means of a “sniper”. We have no one with that skill,’ Squall told him, glancing back down at the paperwork.

Martine nodded. ‘Don't worry about it,’ he said, making Squall frown. ‘Let me introduce an elite sharpshooter from Galbadia Garden,’ he added before turning towards the grassy area next to where they were standing. ‘Kinneas! Irvine Kinneas!’ Martine shouted, shaking his head at the young man.

They all turned to see a young man lying in the grass with a butterfly sitting on his outstretched finger. They hadn't even noticed him lying there the whole time they had been getting briefed and realised he would have heard the entire thing. Irvine was wearing a long, tan, brown coat, dark brown trousers, and a matching Fedora hat. He moved his hand quickly as if he were firing a pistol, making the butterfly flutter rapidly away. Irvine stood up, adjusting his hat, and turned around to face them with a grin on his face. He held a rifle to his shoulder and stuffed his hand into his pocket as he moved over to them and paced in front of them.

Martine rolled his eyes. ‘This is Irvine Kinneas. He will be your sharpshooter,’ he said, crossing his arms. ‘Leave whenever you're ready. Failure is not an option,’ he added, moving towards his car and disappearing into it.

Irvine pointed towards the car, pretending his hand was a gun, aimed, and fired at Martine. ‘BANG!’ he shouted, before turning towards the group as Hermione made her way back over to them. ‘Looks like I'm with you rubes from Balamb,’ Irvine laughed, shaking his head. ‘Greetings,’ he added, stuffing his hands in his pockets again. 

Zell clenched his jaw, and punched his palm, cracking his knuckles. A sure sign he was angry. Squall shook his head at the martial artist. _Zell... why do you always have to overreact to everything?_

Irvine raised his eyebrows at Zell before turning to Squall. ‘You cool with me helping you?’ he asked, shrugging as if it didn’t actually bother him either way.

Squall crossed his arms. ‘That depends on your attitude,’ he answered, glancing at Zell who still looked like he was going to pummel Irvine.

Irvine chuckled. ‘I say things that get a rise out of some people. Just don't let it bother you and we'll get along fine,’ he explained, grinning at Zell who growled under his breath.

Squall reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. _I shouldn't put him together with Zell..._ he thought to himself, shaking his head. Squall looked back at Irvine. ‘I'll remember that,’ he said, nodding to him.

‘So, what’s our next mission?’ Selphie asked, turning to Squall.

Hermione had walked back over to them, and looked at them awkwardly. ‘Should I hear this?’ she asked, crossing her arms.

Squall shrugged. ‘You’re bound to find out anyway, and this may help you,’ he answered, making Hermione look at him questioningly. Squall looked down at the paperwork again and sighed before looking at each of them in turn. ‘Our next mission…’ he trailed off for a moment as he considered the mission. Squall wasn’t even sure if it was a real order from Headmaster Cid, but he couldn’t get back to Balamb Garden to ask him at this point. ‘This is no ordinary mission. It's a direct order from both Balamb and Galbadia Garden. We're to…’ he paused for a moment, and closed his eyes before continuing, ‘...assassinate the sorceress,’ he finished, shaking his head as the others looked at him in shock.

‘What?' Hermione asked, moving to stand next to him so she could look at the order. Without saying anything, Squall handed her the order, and she scanned through it, her face turning pale with every word she read.

‘We're to shoot her from afar. Kinneas will be our sharpshooter. We're to support Kinneas to our fullest. Should the sniper fail, we are to attack head-on,' Squall said, crossing his arms.

Irvine scoffed. ‘Thanks for the support, but I never miss my target,’ he said with confidence, making Squall raise his eyebrows at him.

Squall turned to the rest of them, his eyes focusing on Hermione a little longer as he took in her expression. He couldn’t tell how she was feeling, her expression was stoic and gave nothing away. ‘Eliminate the sorceress. That's our order,’ Squall confirmed, looking away from Hermione to the rest of the group. ‘We're going to head to the capital of Galbadia, Deling City. There, we'll meet up with General Caraway to go over the details for the plan,’ he finished, receiving nods from everyone.

Squall watched as everyone headed for the exit, and noticed Irvine seemed to be giving Selphie and Hermione most of his attention. He watched Hermione giggle at something Irvine said and felt something stir in his stomach… like a ball waiting to explode. Squall tried to shake off the uncomfortable feeling of watching the obvious flirting between them, and followed at a more sedate pace. Although, his mind wandered as he imagined knocking the sharpshooter out…


	13. Chapter Twelve: An Unexpected Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

**_ Chapter Twelve: An Unexpected Encounter _ **

By the time the group reached the train station, Squall was in a foul mood which didn’t go unnoticed by his companions. He was walking ahead at a faster pace, his head down and his hands stuffed in his pockets. Squall gritted his teeth, trying to block out the incessant giggling coming from behind him.

Squall didn’t know why he felt so wound up, but he was relieved when he reached the train staff. ‘Where is this train heading?’ he asked, crossing his arms as the others reached him.

‘This train is bound for Deling City. Are you getting on?’ the ticket attendant answered, pulling out his machine. ‘It will cost 3,000 Gil for six tickets,’ he added, looking at the group.

Squall nodded, pulling out some coins and handing them to the attendant. He took the tickets and boarded the train followed by the others. Remembering the last train ride, Squall walked over to the door leading to SeeD's private quarters and scanned the ticket. The door clicked open, and he leaned against the wall waiting for the others. Squall frowned as he thought they were right behind him, but they hadn't appeared yet.

A few minutes passed before Quistis and Zell joined him, and then finally Selphie, Hermione and Irvine wandered in, the girls still giggling. Squall rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, before shaking his head and looking at the floor.

Hermione noticed Squall had seemed very aloof for the last while since they left Galbadia Garden. The contrast in his personality was giving her whiplash, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to figure him out. Squall was a complicated jigsaw puzzle with only one colour, and Hermione wasn't sure she wanted to take on that challenge. Hermione glanced over at Irvine who was the complete opposite from Squall. He was fun, easy-going, and… not Squall. It exasperated Hermione that she even felt compelled to compare them and she groaned internally.

Hermione shook her head as she took in what was going on around her. Selphie was missing, and Hermione guessed she had headed through to the other car. ‘Do we know when this train is leaving?’ she asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

‘Soon, I hope,' Zell answered, throwing feign punches. As he said this, the train started up, and the train conductor announced it would be departing shortly.

‘Well, that answers that question,’ Quistis said, smiling at Hermione.

Hermione smiled back at her, feeling a little better after her chat with her in Galbadia Garden. In all honesty, Hermione had hoped Squall would come after her to apologise for what he said, but she should have known he wouldn’t. However, she had enjoyed her heart to heart with Quistis, and she felt closer to the girl who seemed to have accepted her.

At least Hermione eventually got an apology before the mission briefing, but considering the way Quistis was when she got to them and how Squall was when he followed, Hermione had a feeling that apology had a lot to do with Quistis’s influence rather than Squall being bothered by what he said.

Hermione glanced at Squall, but he was staring at the floor, and she sighed. It wasn't worth it. She didn't believe there would ever be a time Squall would treat her as anything other than a client.

Irvine hummed making everyone look at him. ‘Perhaps it's fate?' He muttered, before heading through the door Selphie entered through earlier. Hermione frowned, wondering what he meant by that. 

Zell turned to Squall. ‘So, what should we do about _him_?’ he asked, punching his palm as if this suggested what should be done.

‘Zell,’ Squall sighed in frustration, shaking his head. ‘We won’t be doing anything about him. We need him for this mission. After that, you can do what you want,’ Squall told him with a shrug.

Zell punched his hand again. ‘I’ll take that,’ he said, grinning a little and Hermione could just imagine the things he was thinking of doing to Irvine, none of which would be pleasant.

Hermione frowned, looking at the door Irvine disappeared through. ‘I’m going to check on Selphie. Irvine just kind of went off,’ she said, making her way towards the door.

‘Jealous?’ Squall muttered before he could stop himself.

Hermione frowned at him. ‘Not that it’s any of your business, but no. He was very flirty towards Selphie on the way here, and she looked uncomfortable and now he’s in there with her alone,’ Hermione explained, turning towards him. ‘Of course, if you hadn’t stormed on ahead you would have realised that and not made assumptions. I walked with them purely because of how Irvine was acting towards Selphie. I was trying to take some of his attention off her,’ she explained, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at him.

Squall suddenly felt very small under her piercing gaze and nodded. ‘I just wanted to get to the train station in time,' Squall replied in defence of why he rushed on ahead even though he knew fine well it was a blatant lie. ‘I’ll go check on her,’ Squall said suddenly and disappeared through the door before Hermione could blink.

Hermione moved back to her spot, and the group listened to the murmurs of voices through the door. Irvine sauntered through after a few minutes followed by Squall who was clearly peeved. Irvine moved over towards Hermione and smiled at her in what he must have thought was a seductive leer. ‘So, Hermione… how about it?’ he whispered, raising his eyebrows and looking her up and down.

‘I don't think so,' Hermione answered nervously, moving away from him over to the other side of the train car next to Squall. Hermione glanced at Squall to see he was glaring at Irvine and wondered what had gotten him so riled up.

‘Irvine Kinneas! You’re playing a major role in this mission! Now behave yourself!’ Quistis snapped, crossing her arms and staring at Irvine heatedly.

Irvine sighed and leaned against the wall. ‘No one understands me,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Sharpshooters are loners by nature,’ Irvine told them, making Hermione raise her eyebrows in incredulity. ‘We hone our instincts, pour our whole being into a single bullet. The pressure of the moment, an instant of tension…’ he trailed off, punching his hand much like Zell was wont to do to emphasise his point. ‘That’s what I have to face alone,’ he alleged, lowering his head. ‘It’s not easy. So like, just do me a favour and let me be!’ Irvine said, turning to them and raising his eyebrows. ‘You get my drift?’ he asked, looking at all the faces staring back at him blankly.

‘Are you kidding?’ Hermione questioned in surprise as his earlier actions did not show a person who wanted to be alone. Irvine’s portrayal of himself was more like how Squall is with people, not someone who flirts with any girl he crosses paths with.

Irvine scowled at her. ‘You don’t know me, so you have no right to judge,’ he snapped, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms.

Hermione shook her head, _and gone is the nice guy, almost gentleman, from earlier,_ she thought in amusement. She was having a hard time understanding some of her companions. Hermione felt so alone in this world, and she pondered how Harry and Ron were. Did time move the same here as it does there? For all Hermione knew, maybe only minutes had passed for them while she had been here for weeks.

Surely, Dumbledore would think of some way for her to return?

Hermione closed her eyes, feeling them burning with tears. She walked through the door to where Selphie was, not noticing a pair of blue eyes observing her curiously. Hermione glanced up at Selphie, noting the girl looked a little down. ‘You okay, Selphie?’ Hermione asked, stopping next to her.

Selphie sighed. ‘Irvine was a little forward, and I don’t know how I feel about that,’ she replied, shaking her head. ‘I’m also concerned about this mission. I have a feeling something bad’s gonna happen,’ Selphie said, turning towards Hermione.

‘Yeah, the mission was a bit sudden. I don't really know where I fit into all of this,' Hermione answered, crossing her arms.

‘What do you mean?’ Selphie probed, frowning at her.

‘I’m not a SeeD, so I’m not part of this mission. Will Squall just put me in a corner somewhere and tell me to wait until it’s all done? Could I do that knowing the potential danger you all might be in?’ Hermione questioned, shaking her head.

‘I don't know what Squall will do, but I know he'll do what he thinks is best. We have to protect you, and I don't know if Squall would want to leave you where he might not be able to get to you if something happens. He seems to take his duties seriously,' Selphie replied, beaming at Hermione.

Hermione chuckled, not entirely agreeing with Selphie, but she would just have to see what was going to happen. ‘I'm going to sit in SeeD's cabin. You want to come too?' Hermione asked her, changing the subject.

‘Nah, I’m gonna hang out here for a bit longer. I don’t think we’ve got long before we reach Deling City anyway,’ Selphie replied, turning back to the window.

Hermione nodded and went into the cabin. It was pretty much identical to the room they were in when they headed from Balamb to Timber. Hermione lay down on the couch and closed her eyes, _that feels like a lifetime ago,_ she thought with a yawn.

_Sleep_ , a voice whispered into her mind.

Hermione gasped, realising it was not Griever but someone else. Her eyes felt very heavy suddenly, but she tried to fight back the sleep trying to overcome her. Was this a trick? Like what happened with Squall, Zell, and Selphie on the other train?

_Sleep_ , the voice said again, but it was more like an order rather than a simple request.

Hermione couldn’t help it, she tried to fight the feeling of sleep coming over her senses and felt her entire body sink into the couch. Darkness enshrouded her, and nightmares plagued her.

oOoOo

Squall crossed his arms and leaned against the wall wondering what had upset Hermione. She just took off without saying anything. Squall itched to go and speak to her but didn't want to give any wrong impressions to his companions. He looked around at them all, noticing they were all pretty quiet. Quistis was sitting on the floor looking ready to fall asleep; Irvine was polishing his shotgun, and Zell was staring out the window.

Squall shook his head, why did he care what they thought anyway? With this question firmly lodged in his mind, Squall pushed off the wall and headed through to the corridor. Selphie was still staring out the window, a frown on her brow, but she wasn't humming this time, and Squall decided to leave her alone.

Squall frowned wondering how Hermione got into SeeD's private cabin when he hadn't opened it yet, and his frown increased when the door wouldn't open for him. He tried to scan the card, but it still wouldn't open. Squall banged on the door. ‘Hermione?' he called, but no sounds were coming from inside the room.

‘What’s wrong?’ Selphie asked, coming to stand next to him.

‘The door won’t open,’ Squall answered, pushing against the door. ‘Is Hermione in there?’ he asked Selphie, looking at her.

Selphie nodded. ‘Yeah, she said she was going in there,’ she answered, taking the card from Squall and trying it herself. The light turned green to show it was open, but the door still wouldn’t budge. ‘What's going on?' Selphie muttered, looking around for something to open the door with. There was nothing around, so she turned back to Squall. ‘Should I get Zell?' Selphie asked, becoming worried about Hermione being trapped in the room.

‘Why is she not answering the door!?’ Squall barked in frustration as he ran at the door full force to try and open it, but it was stuck fast.

‘I’ll get Zell,’ Selphie said, moving towards the other car to get him. The train shook a bit causing her to stop and look back at Squall in confusion.

Squall listened to the screeching of the train on the tracks as it slowed down. ‘We can't be there yet,' Squall said, moving to the window and looking out. They were still in the middle of nowhere.

Selphie shook her head. ‘There’s no way we can be there, we didn’t leave that long ago!’ she agreed, running towards the door to get Zell and the others. Zell opened the door before Selphie had a chance, making her bump into him. ‘Ooft!’ she cried, falling to the floor.

Zell leaned down and helped her back to her feet. ‘Sorry, Selphie!’ he exclaimed, receiving a small smile in return from Selphie. Zell looked at Squall. ‘What the hell’s going on? Why are we stopping?’ he quizzed, watching the passing landscape becoming slower and slower.

‘I don't know, I think I'll go see what the driver is doing,' Squall answered, shaking his head. ‘Zell, can you get this door open? Hermione's inside, and it won't budge,' Squall asked him, turning to walk towards the front of the train.

Zell nodded, moving towards the door. ‘I’ll give it a try!’ he exclaimed, punching his fist. He ran towards the door and shoved it hard, making a dent appear.

‘Bloody hell,’ Irvine muttered, watching Zell do the same thing again until the door was almost caved in.

Zell moved back, and just as he ran to barge into it again, the door clicked open. ‘SHIT!!!’ he shouted, unable to stop his own momentum, and he fell to the ground in the room.

‘Hermione!’ Selphie shouted, running towards the girl lying on the couch, but she wouldn’t wake.

Squall appeared at the door, moving over to Selphie. ‘I can’t find the driver,’ he said, looking at Hermione. ‘Is she asleep?’ Squall asked in disbelief.

‘She won’t wake up!’ Selphie cried, shaking Hermione, but the other girl was out cold.

‘Squall we have to check things out! Hermione will be okay for a minute!’ Zell reasoned, gesturing for them to follow as the train screeched to a halt.

Squall looked at Hermione, torn about leaving her, but he knew Zell was right. Whatever was happening may require all of them, and she would be safe enough.

He hoped.

Squall reluctantly left Hermione’s side and followed the others back into the corridor. The train began to shake, and the companions grabbed onto the walls to stop themselves from falling. The train shuddered and groaned, and they felt it start to tilt back and forth like something was pushing it from the side.

Squall looked out the window and spotted someone in the distance. He squinted his eyes, making out a girl walking towards the train wearing blue clothing and a chill went down his spine. ‘Rinoa,' Squall whispered, his eyes narrowing.

‘What the hell is she doing here!?’ Zell exclaimed, grabbing Selphie’s arm as she almost fell down next to him.

‘Squall!’ Quistis called to him, glancing between him and the door to where Hermione was.

‘I know!’ Squall shouted back, gripping onto the windowsill as another violent shudder shook the train.

‘We’ll do something about her, you protect Hermione!’ Zell yelled, letting go of the windowsill and opening the emergency door so they could get out.

‘What about you guys?’ Squall said, looking at them as they made their way out of the car onto the desert plains.

‘Never mind us, someone needs to protect Hermione!’ Selphie answered, unclasping her nunchaku and resting it on her shoulder.

Squall hesitated, but he knew she was right and they all seemed like they weren’t going to listen to him anyway. He eventually nodded, leaving it in their hands as he made his way back to SeeD’s cabin. This was another attempt on Hermione’s life, he just knew it. _Rinoa must have placed some sort of spell on her,_ Squall thought, running over to Hermione’s prone figure on the couch.

Squall shook her, but she still wouldn't wake up. His only real relief was that she was still breathing. Squall looked around for something, anything he could use to try and barricade themselves in this room so Rinoa wouldn't get to Hermione. He knew Hermione would be able to handle her, but she was unconscious, and Squall wasn't entirely sure what Rinoa was capable of.

Squall grabbed hold of furniture, but it was all nailed to the ground. ‘Shit,’ he muttered, looking around for something else. Squall took a deep breath, realising he would just have to fight if Rinoa somehow managed to get through everyone else. He unsheathed his Gunblade and stood guard next to Hermione, waiting.

For a while, nothing else seemed to happen, and Squall wondered if the others had managed to scare her off for now. He made to move towards the door to look out the window, but the train groaned loudly and tilted violently again. Squall grabbed the bunkbeds to balance himself before he made his way towards Hermione. Just as the train leaned dangerously on its hinges, Squall felt himself falling back, and he managed to grab hold of Hermione as the train crashed onto its side. Squall hit the wall of the car with a thud, his head colliding painfully with a metal plate that was attached to the wall, and he groaned as Hermione's dead weight winded him.

Squall looked up at the door, which had closed as the train fell on its side, and hoped the others were okay before darkness took him.

oOoOo

‘Right, you guys wait here just in case she gets through us,’ Zell said, cracking his knuckles.

‘Yeah, defend the train,’ Irvine agreed, loading his shotgun and smiling at the girls.

Quistis and Selphie nodded, staying by the door to the train as they watched the guys run towards Rinoa. ‘Do you think they’ll be okay?’ Selphie asked the older girl.

Quistis shook her head. ‘I don’t know,’ she whispered, turning to look back in the door to the corridor where the SeeD cabin was.

Zell and Irvine jogged towards Rinoa who either hadn't noticed them yet, or she was ignoring them entirely. ‘So, who's the chick?' Irvine asked, turning the safety off on his shotgun.

‘So, Rinoa is a member of the Timber Resistance faction we were helping. Technically, she’s our client,’ Zell explained, falling into step beside Irvine.

‘So, why are we going after her?’ Irvine asked, confused at what was happening.

‘Well, Hermione is also our client, and Rinoa wants to kill her for some reason. So, we took Hermione's side and now we're protecting her from Rinoa and the Sorceress,' Zell told him, slowing down as they closed in on Rinoa.

Rinoa turned to look at them, and they could see the evil gleam in her eyes. Something which Zell had never actually noticed before. Her eyes were almost black, and it made him shudder. ‘Why, Zell! How nice to see you!' Rinoa greeted, grinning at him. Rinoa clasped her hands behind her back. ‘What a coincidence, huh,' she said, tilting her head at him.

‘What are you doing here, Rinoa?’ Zell asked her, clenching his fists.

‘Oh, this and that,’ Rinoa replied, flicking her hair behind her shoulder. ‘I’m still your client, remember? How sad I was to find you had all left me behind in Timber,’ she said, reaching up and wiping fake tears away.

‘You tried to kill Hermione!’ Zell shouted, punching his fist angrily. ‘Why are you after her?’ he questioned, cracking his knuckles.

‘Is that supposed to be intimidating?’ Rinoa asked, looking at her nails as if she was merely commenting on the weather. Rinoa clicked her fingers and Zell was thrown back a metre from where he was standing.

Irvine frowned and pointed his gun at Rinoa. He pulled the trigger, but when the smoke from his shot cleared she was not where he had aimed. Irvine looked around and felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find her standing behind him, and she grabbed his gun, before smacking him across the face with it. Irvine went down at the blow, and she threw his gun away before looking down at him in disgust.

Rinoa smirked and walked towards the train again, shaking her head in amusement. Zell managed to get back to his feet, and he ran towards Rinoa. Zell threw punches at her, but she dodged them all and grabbed his fist. Zell felt his body freeze. ‘You won't win,' Rinoa said to him, tightening her grip and Zell felt a searing pain in his head. ‘You will die if you continue trying to protect her,' Rinoa continued, before snapping her hand to the right causing Zell to be tossed a few metres away from her.

Rinoa turned back towards the train to find Quistis and Selphie standing waiting with their weapons. ‘Don’t you both look fearsome,’ Rinoa laughed, raising her hand to award them the same treatment as the guys.

Quistis snapped her whip out, and it wrapped around Rinoa, trapping her arms at her sides. Selphie leapt forward and hit Rinoa several times with her nunchaku, but the other girl seemed to have a barrier preventing anything from hitting her. Rinoa laughed, and the whip caught on fire, turning to ash and Quistis stared in shock at her ruined weapon. Rinoa looked at Selphie, and the metal on her nunchaku began to burn, and she had to let them go. Rinoa reached out her hands, and both girls felt like they were being strangled. Rinoa sighed and threw them aside as if they were ragdolls before continuing towards the train.

Rinoa clicked her fingers and, with a malicious grin, the train fell onto its side after shuddering violently. She levitated herself on top of it and disappeared through the door into the corridor.

oOoOo

Hermione opened her eyes and looked around the room wondering what had happened. She remembered feeling very tired, and she fell asleep. Hermione felt something warm and soft beneath her, and she looked down to see Squall. Gasping, she moved off him and checked him to see if he was okay. He was out cold, and there was a little blood at the back of his head.

Hermione looked around in confusion, realising the train must have derailed. _How did that happen? And how did I sleep through it,_ Hermione asked herself, shaking her head.

_Rinoa,_ came a voice in her head. A voice which had been very quiet for a while now.

_Griever!?_  Hermione thought almost angrily. Where the hell had he been for so long? Hermione thought he had left her.

_Rinoa is coming, you need to be careful,_ Griever warned, ignoring the anger radiating off her.

_What?_ Hermione asked, looking up at the door which was closed.

_Your wand!_ Griever shouted, and Hermione almost felt a mental push towards the bunk beds.

Hermione stood and walked over to the bunk beds. There, right at the bottom of them in the corner, was her wand. Hermione tried to reach for it, but it was too far. She looked around in frustration, trying to find something she could reach it with. ‘Damn it!' Hermione snapped, trying to climb under the bunk beds.

‘I don't think so, dearie!' came a voice, and Hermione was dragged out from under the bunk beds by an invisible force. ‘I am so pleased to see you!' Rinoa exclaimed, clicking her fingers and throwing Hermione to the opposite side of the car from her wand.

Hermione groaned at the aching in her body, she was still recovering from everything that happened in Timber. ‘What the hell is your problem with me!?’ Hermione screamed at her, wincing at the pain in her back and legs.

Rinoa laughed. ‘Whatever gave you the idea that I have a problem with you?’ she asked, placing her hand on her chest in mock surprise, and pouted sadly.

‘You're clearly trying to kill me for some reason!' Hermione seethed, pushing herself to her feet. Hermione steeled herself against the pain and tried to run across the room to get her wand. She knew it was a stupid move on her part, but it was the only thing she had which she could use to defend herself. Hermione's rash move came back to hit her full pelt in the chest as another invisible force sent her flying into the wall again, and she cried out in pain.

‘I was under the impression you were smart and not to be taken lightly,’ Rinoa said, tilting her head as she looked at Hermione like she was bored.

Hermione tried to speak, but she was also trying hard not to pass out from the pain. ‘Why… w-why are y-you…?' she trailed off, gasping for breath between words. Hermione tried to take a deep breath but winced from the pain in her chest.

Rinoa raised her eyebrows. ‘Why am I doing this?' she asked, gesturing to the train. ‘Because I was ordered to, by my Mistress,' Rinoa answered, shaking her head. ‘I won't spare you the details. All you need to know is she wants you dead, and I am more than happy to oblige,' Rinoa said, looking at her nails.

Squall, who was conscious, listened to Rinoa and Hermione. He hadn't wanted to move to draw Rinoa's attention to him, or he wouldn't be able to help Hermione. Squall listened as Rinoa walked about the room, and he opened his eyes to see where she was. Rinoa was standing with her back to him. Squall, seizing his chance, moved towards the bunk beds where Hermione's wand was.

Squall gritted his teeth as Hermione let out a blood-curdling scream. He had to get to her wand as quickly as possible before Rinoa followed through with her threat to kill her. Squall reached for her wand and managed to grab it. He sat up and turned towards Hermione who looked ready to pass out. Hermione looked up, catching his eyes, and the tears he saw made him want to leap up and tear Rinoa to shreds.

Squall threw Hermione’s wand across the room, and Rinoa looked down to where Squall was lying before to find he was awake. ‘Ah! The hero is awake!’ Rinoa said in delight, sending a chill down Squall’s spine. ‘Now I can kill you both,’ Rinoa said, raising her hand towards Squall.

‘Not this time!’ Hermione shouted, pointing her wand at Rinoa. ‘Stupify!' she said, and the force of the spell knocked Rinoa back into the wall, and she landed on the ground with a thump, unconscious.

Squall staggered towards her. ‘Now’s our chance,’ he said, clasping his hands together so she could stand on them. Hermione balanced on him and reached for the door, and Squall pushed her up through it. Hermione pointed her wand to levitate him up, but Squall shook his head. With a frown, she put her wand away.

Zell and Irvine appeared beside her. ‘Squall!' Zell shouted down to him and looked around to see Rinoa unconscious on the ground. ‘Come on, we'll help you up!' Zell said, reaching out his arm, and Irvine did the same.

Squall used the couch for momentum and jumped up, barely catching Zell’s outstretched hand. Squall felt like his arm was going to rip off, and he cringed as he reached up and grabbed Irvine’s wrist. They got a better grip on Squall and pulled him up. Squall lay on the floor, or wall, of the corridor and massaged the pain in his shoulder.

‘What should we do about her?’ Hermione asked, looking at Squall wondering why he didn’t just let her levitate him up.

‘She can stay here and rot,’ Squall muttered, wincing as he stood and moved his shoulder about until it cracked.

Selphie pushed on the door, but it wouldn’t budge. ‘Here, let me,’ Zell said, kneeling next to her and pushing the ruined door until it closed.

‘It won’t hold her in there,’ Irvine muttered, crossing his arms.

Hermione pulled out her wand and pointed it at the door. ‘Colloportus,' she whispered, and the door locked itself. ‘That should hold her for a while,' Hermione said, putting her wand away.

‘You’re a Sorceress?’ Irvine snapped, pointing his gun at her.

‘If you pull that trigger I’ll kill you,’ Squall warned, moving in front of Hermione.

‘Aren’t we supposed to be assassinating an evil Sorceress? You’re about to protect one?’ Irvine said in disbelief, narrowing his eyes at Hermione.

Hermione lowered her head sadly knowing this was probably going to happen every time they met someone new. She would really have to learn to get used to it and the prejudices against magical beings in this world. Hermione was reminded of the Pureblood prejudices against Muggleborn’s in her world. It was almost the same, only the knowledge of her being a Muggleborn was dangerous for her in her world, and the knowledge of her being a Sorceress here was dangerous for them.

‘Hermione is not evil!’ Squall said, defending her and he squared up to Irvine angrily. ‘She is not the one we’re after,’ Squall told him, giving him a piercing look.

Irvine lowered his gun and took a step back. He glanced at Hermione suspiciously for a moment before turning and pulling himself out of the train.

‘What a prick,’ Zell muttered, shaking his head at the retreating sharpshooter.

Zell followed him, along with Quistis and Selphie who he helped out of the train. Squall moved to follow them but stopped when a small hand touched his arm. ‘Thank you,' Hermione whispered, looking down at the door Rinoa was trapped behind.

Squall looked at the door as well and realised she was thanking him for everything, not just his defence of her. ‘It’s fine, just doing my duty,’ Squall answered, turning back to leave the train.

‘Is that all it is?’ Hermione asked before she could stop herself. The words were out of her mouth before her mind even had time to process them.

Squall turned back to her slowly, a frown on his face. ‘I don't know,' he whispered, before pulling himself out of the train. Hermione glanced at the door to the SeeD cabin once more before turning to the door. Squall reached his hand down, and she took it, letting him help her through the door.

‘What’s that?’ Selphie said, pointing to something in the distance.

The companions all looked and noticed several vehicles heading their way. ‘Looks like the Galbadian Army,’ Zell said, crossing his arms and frowning.

Selphie turned to Squall. ‘We should hide or run,’ she said in fear, grabbing his arm.

Squall shrugged her off. ‘Why? We did nothing wrong,’ he muttered, crossing his arms.

‘Yes, but we also have official orders to assassinate the Sorceress and weapons on us,’ Selphie explained, shaking her head at him.

Squall raised his eyebrows. ‘Shit, good thinking, Selphie. It’s too late now though, they would have seen us,’ Squall muttered, shaking his head.

Hermione pulled out her wand. ‘Put all your weapons and the orders in a pile,' she said, looking at them all as they frowned at her. ‘Quickly!' Hermione exclaimed, and they did as she asked. Hermione pointed her wand at the oncoming vehicles first, and Squall almost reached out to stop whatever spell she was about to send at them. ‘Impedimenta,' she whispered, and they watched in awe as the vehicles slowed down like they were moving in slow-motion. Hermione looked at Squall in irritation. ‘Trust me,' she pleaded, and he frowned but nodded, realising she must have noticed him moving to stop her. Hermione pointed her wand at the weapons. ‘Duro,' she whispered, and all the weapons turned to stones. Hermione leaned down and picked them up, putting them in her bag. When she was done, Hermione looked up noticing everyone was staring at her with wide eyes. ‘Don't worry, it's temporary,' she said, and they all visibly relaxed. Hermione pointed her wand at the vehicles. ‘Finite Incantatem,' she said, countering the slowing spell she placed on them earlier.

The group watched as the Galbadian soldiers exited the vehicles and moved towards them and the various passengers emerging from the train. ‘What happened here?' one of the soldiers said as they reached them.

‘The train just started shaking, and then it derailed,' Squall answered immediately, omitting the truth as he didn't know if they knew about Rinoa. Not that he was defending her, but if she was working for the Sorceress who is in cahoots with Galbadia then the Army may know Rinoa is after Hermione.

‘All right, well we'll need to take a statement from each of you, and then you'll be taken to Deling City,' the other soldier said, turning towards another vehicle where medics were already attending to other passengers. ‘Let's get you all looked at, and we'll have a chat,' he said, and the group followed him.

After being cleaned up by the medics, and having given their abbreviated account of the events that took place, the group piled into a Galbadian vehicle and sped towards Galbadia’s Capital, Deling City.

 


	14. Chapter Thirteen: The Cosmopolitan Centre, Deling City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

**_ Chapter Thirteen: The Cosmopolitan Centre, Deling City _ **

The Galbadian Soldiers dropped the group at the entrance to Deling City and directed them to where the town centre was. They left them there, and the group looked around at all the people standing about. ‘Sure is a big city,’ Zell said, looking down the long street.

‘There’s a lot of people around. Do you think they’re all here to see the Sorceress?’ Selphie asked, catching titbits of information from the people.

Squall shrugged. ‘Probably. I imagine it's quite a big deal for these people,' he replied, crossing his arms and eyeing the shops along the street.

Hermione looked around the huge shopping district, and it instantly reminded her of Paris. Hermione’s face crumpled at the similarity as she recalled when she went to Paris with her parents. Hermione felt awful, she hadn’t even given any thought to how her parents must be. If they knew she was missing, they would be worried sick.

Squall scrutinised Hermione's expressions and pondered on what could make her go from enthralled to sad in mere moments. He looked around the town as well and shook his head. Squall decided he really needed to stop thinking about Hermione so much. She was their client, and they had an obligation to protect her. Nothing more.

_Yeah, keep telling yourself that,_ Squall thought and groaned internally at his traitorous mind.

‘So, what now?’ Hermione enquired, shaking off her memories and thoughts of her parents. ‘What do your orders say?’ she asked, going into her bag and pulling out a stone.

Hermione handed it to Squall, and it became the orders once more, startling him. Squall recovered his composure and regarded the orders pensively. ‘Well, it says we're to meet with General Caraway at his mansion for a mission briefing the day before the parade. The parade is the day after tomorrow,’ Squall stated, before putting the papers into the inside pocket of his jacket.

‘So, what should we do until then?’ Quistis asked, crossing her arms and looking at Squall purposely.

_How the hell should I know? I don’t care what any of you do as long as you appear for the meeting,_ Squall thought in frustration. He was getting extremely fed up with this leader business. Squall exhaled, grasping everyone was observing him expectantly. ‘I guess we can do whatever. Explore the city, get to know our surroundings. I'm going to the Hotel if anyone needs me,’ Squall said, and with that, he took off down the road.

Squall was surprised when they all trailed after him along the sidewalk. He didn’t comment, but he fathomed they were all pretty worn-out after their ordeal with the train and Rinoa. Squall gritted his teeth at the audacity Rinoa exhibited when she came after Hermione on the train. _What does she want?_ Squall glanced at Hermione who had fallen into step next to him and speculated how they would even know who she is? _She isn’t from this world._ That cold fact hit Squall harder now than it had when Hermione first said it and he couldn’t comprehend why.

Squall snapped out of his thoughts as Zell fell into step on his other side. ‘So, this is where Laguna’s from, huh,’ he assumed, looking at Squall.

‘Yeah, I wonder if they’re here,’ Squall mused, not particularly wanting to run into the three clowns, but it would be interesting none-the-less.

‘Oh, I’d love to meet Sir Laguna if he’s here! Oh, he’s so handsome,’ Selphie squealed, giggling like a girl in love.

Squall hid a smirk at the pout Irvine shot Selphie’s way. _I guess Selphie’s not interested in you, Irvine,_ he thought to himself, although he had no clue why his mind would conjure anything remotely associated to romance. Unwillingly, Squall’s eyes found Hermione once more, _I wonder if she...?_ He cut that thought off before it could fully form. _No! Not happening! Stop thinking! Now!_ Squall berated himself and took a deep breath to clear his mind.

‘Oh, I hope he's here! Aw Hermione, you will just love him! He's gorgeous and-'

Squall shut off from the rest of that banter, not eager to heed Selphie’s nattering about a guy they saw in their dreams. Who knows what period in time their dreams were showing. Laguna could be an old man for all they knew. He could also be dead, although Squall had a niggling feeling that was not the case.

The group reached the hotel, and Squall gratefully stepped inside. He walked straight to the desk and enquired about rooms. ‘They only have 2 doubles and 2 twin rooms left, so some of us are going to have to share,' Squall explained, sighing and watching his companions. He really didn't want to have to share with Zell or Irvine, but he was also concerned they might murder each other. Correction, Squall was worried Zell would asphyxiate Irvine with every pillow in the room… or shoot him with his own gun. Squall frowned at the images his mind was creating. His imagination was certainly running away with him lately.

‘I don’t mind sharing with Quistis if you want to have your own room, Hermione?’ Selphie was saying, breaking Squall from his thoughts.

‘Really? I don't mind, either way,' Hermione answered, although she usually would jump at the chance of having her own room. She wasn't sure why the idea made her suddenly uneasy.

‘You’ve had a rotten journey recently. You could do with a good night’s sleep, Hermione,’ Quistis said, grasping the other girl’s shoulders gently. ‘Go on, we don’t mind,’ she added with a smile.

Hermione smiled back. ‘Thank you,’ she said, turning to the lady at the counter and confirming she would have the double and the other girls would have a twin room.

‘Perfect, here’s your keys!’ the receptionist said, handing them key cards for the rooms.

Squall crossed his arms, marvelling at how easy it was for the girls to figure out what they were doing. He watched them enter the lift taking them up to the rooms. Squall’s eyes caught Hermione’s for a second before the doors closed.

Squall took a deep breath and turned to the guys. ‘So?’ he muttered, raising his eyebrows at them.

‘I don’t mind,’ Irvine murmured, picking dust off his hat.

Zell shrugged. ‘I don’t care as long as I get some sleep,’ he said, and let out a yawn at the end of his sentence to underline this.

Squall rolled his eyes. ‘Fine, you two take the twin, I’ll have the double,’ he said, weighing up if that was the best idea.

Squall observed them for a moment, waiting for an argument to ensue, but they both shrugged which stunned him. He was expecting them to flat out refuse to share. Maybe going after Rinoa as a team had given them a sense of camaraderie. Squall sniggered at this, knowing fine well that was not the case.

With their rooms confirmed, the attendant pressed the button on the lift. Before the guys could step on, Hermione and Selphie came back out giggling. ‘Oh, hey,’ Selphie said, tilting her head at them. ‘We’re just popping down to the bar,’ she said, taking Hermione’s arm and leading her down some stairs next to reception.

‘Why don’t you guys join us later?’ Hermione proposed, looking openly at Squall when she said it.

Squall rubbed the back of his neck uneasily at the look she was giving him. He swallowed before shrugging. ‘Maybe, I’m pretty drained so don’t count on it,’ he said, trying to sound nonchalant and failing miserably.

‘You guys are no fun!’ Selphie exclaimed, pulling Hermione down the stairs.

‘I think I’ll join them later, once I’ve freshened up,’ Irvine declared, grinning like the cat who got the cream.

Squall scowled at Irvine and crossed his arms as he leaned onto the wall of the lift. ‘Whatever,’ he muttered, closing his eyes to mitigate the headache beginning behind them.

‘Come on, Squall. It might be fun to relax,' Zell expressed, and Squall eyed him incredulously because he agreed with Irvine.

Squall sighed and shut his eyes again. ‘Whatever,' he answered, disregarding Zell as he tried to persuade him some more. Squall was relieved when the lift stopped, and he went to his room without another word to either of his male associates.

Squall shut the door and rested his head against the cool wood for a moment before turning to look at the room. It was spacious with a large double bed and a small sitting area. He walked into the bathroom and switched the shower on, and turned it to cold.

Squall needed it along with a hammer to knock his evil, clandestine fancies about Hermione out of his mind.

oOoOo

Hermione sat in a booth with Selphie feeling a little disheartened that Squall was so aloof about the idea of joining them. She believed it would be nice to actually see Squall in a relaxed environment, but she should have known better.

‘Aww, doesn’t look like Sir Laguna is here!’ Selphie said in disappointment, dragging Hermione away from her feelings about Squall.

‘That's a shame. Though, we're here for a few days so we may run into Laguna,' Hermione answered with a shrug, grinning at the other girl.

Selphie let out a dreamy sigh. ‘If only you had come to the dream world with us, Hermione! You would have fallen in love with Sir Laguna as well!’ she said in a wistful voice.

Hermione snorted into her drink. ‘I doubt it,’ she claimed, shaking her head.

‘Oh! You like someone! Who!? Who!?' Selphie cried, turning right around in her seat, so she was facing Hermione head on.

‘What? No, I don't!' Hermione laughed, taking a sip of her drink. She didn't know what it was exactly, but it was amazing. Hermione was unfamiliar with ingredients and liquor in this world so she couldn't even place the flavour.

Quistis emerged then, dressed in a pretty pale blue dress which complemented her blond hair and blue eyes. ‘Come on, Hermione, tell us!' she said, grinning at the girl as she sat down next to her.

‘Not you too, Quistis!’ Hermione grumbled, leaning her head back on the cushions lining the shelves just behind the seats.

‘There must be someone you like. Someone in your world, perhaps?’ Quistis prodded, taking a sip of her drink.

‘Well…’ Hermione trailed off as she thought about home.

oOoOo

Squall was inclined against the wall in the lift having an internal debate with himself as to why he was currently making his way down to the bar. It wasn’t like he was a drinker, although after everything that had occurred recently he felt like he could use one.

Squall took the steps down to the bar leisurely, peering around as the room came into view. His eyes were drawn to the piano which appeared to be the same one Julia had used the night Laguna was in here with Kiros and Ward. Squall speculated how long ago that was, and he tried to recall the history of when Galbadia occupied Timber. He remembered Ward declaring to Kiros and Laguna that they were meant to be heading to Timber to fight their army, but they ended up in Deling City instead.

Squall shook those thoughts away and cast an eye over the room for Hermione and Selphie. They were sitting at the same booth Laguna and his friends had been seated at and wondered if that was Selphie's doing. Squall rolled his eyes and shook his head. They hadn't noticed him, so Squall walked over to the bar, and requested a drink.

Squall turned slightly to see Quistis making her way to their table. The girls were laughing at Hermione’s expense, and his curiosity got the better of him. Squall grabbed his drink and headed to the booth right behind theirs and sat down, tuning into their banter.

Squall regretted it almost immediately when he grasped they were discussing Hermione’s romantic interests.

‘Well…' Hermione trailed off for a moment, and Squall wondered if she would continue. ‘There was this guy a few years back, but it was just a fling. They came across from another school for a tournament our school organised, and we attended a ball together,' Hermione answered, and Squall could almost see her shrugging.

‘Did he kiss you?' Quistis solicited, and Squall heard Hermione choke on her drink.

‘No! He tried, but I wasn’t interested in that stuff,’ Hermione told them.

‘What were you interested in if not boys!?’ Selphie prodded.

‘Books.’

Squall almost laughed at Hermione’s reply, but he abstained. He could see Hermione sitting in a library surrounded by books. It was just her character; smart and beautiful. Squall paused in taking a drink, his eyes open wide. _I didn’t think that…_ he told himself, shaking his head.

‘Anyone else?’ Selphie asked, and Squall could tell she was getting discouraged at the lack of information Hermione was sharing.

‘Well, there was this other guy. Though my friends would have slaughtered me if they ever knew,’ Hermione revealed, giving in to their probing.

‘Oh! Drama! So, why would your friends slaughter you?’ Selphie enquired.

Squall heard Hermione exhale. ‘He tormented my friends and me for almost seven years. He was foul and loathsome. If I'm honest, I don't even know why I was attracted to him,' Hermione answered, and Squall could hear the resentment in her tone.

‘Oh, so you like bad guys?’ Quistis asked, her tone suggestive which made Squall frown. He didn’t even know Quistis was interested in this stuff.

‘No, not really, but he is gorgeous,’ Hermione disclosed with a giggle. Squall clenched his fists, deciding he should probably leave, but her next words made him stop dead half-way to his feet. ‘Tall, blond, intense blue eyes…’ and Squall suddenly felt sick. ‘But he was arrogant, egotistical, and just a universal bastard.’

‘Wow, you just described Seifer!’ Quistis exclaimed.

‘Well, I certainly wasn't talking about Seifer. If anything, Seifer reminded me of him, and I realised how much of a prick he really is,' Hermione countered, but this didn't make Squall feel any better. If anything, he actually felt worse for eavesdropping and kicked himself for even coming down here.

‘Well, looks like the guys decided not to come,' Hermione assumed, seemingly trying to steer the topic away from her love life.

‘Yeah, I thought Irvine and Zell may have come down at least,’ Selphie answered, the dissatisfaction obvious in her tone.

Squall stood up and ambled back over to the bar to get himself another drink before heading back upstairs. He just hoped he wouldn’t be—

‘Squall?’ came a voice from behind him and Squall froze.

Squall turned around to face Hermione sluggishly. ‘Hello,’ he said and cleared his throat tensely.

‘Wow, we didn’t actually think you would come down,’ Hermione divulged, beaming at him and ordered three more drinks for herself, Quistis, and Selphie.

‘Yeah, well I decided I could use a drink before heading off to bed,’ Squall countered, indicating to a glass of dark brown liquid.

Hermione nodded, not quite believing him as she took in his attire. Squall was dressed in black jeans and a dark green t-shirt which was somewhat form-fitting. Hermione could make out the muscles on his arms and chest, and she suddenly wanted to run her hands and mouth over every inch of him. Hermione gulped as her fantasies of him came to the forefront of her mind. ‘Well, feel free to join us,’ Hermione mumbled, not looking at him as she tried to hide the blush on her face.

Squall raised his eyebrows as she hastily left to head back to their table and tilted his head. ‘Huh,’ he murmured, thinking whether it would be a good idea to go over. He wasn’t exactly good at social interactions.

oOoOo

Hermione returned to her seat, hoping the girls wouldn’t notice her flushed cheeks. She really needed to get her thoughts under control. It wouldn’t do Hermione any good to keep daydreaming about Squall the way she did. Hermione took a deep breath. ‘So, Squall’s here,’ she said as indifferently as she could, nodding towards the bar where she could still see him.

Quistis and Selphie glanced over at the bar. ‘Oh, I wonder if he’ll join us,’ Selphie said, taking a sip of the drink Hermione had passed to her.

‘I don’t think he will. He just said he was getting a drink and heading to bed,’ Hermione said, trying to fight back the abrupt images flooding her mind of Squall sleeping naked in bed. _I wonder if he does sleep naked,_ Hermione ruminated and then cursed her mind.

A chuckle answered her internal thoughts, and Hermione realised Griever was there. _I can confirm Squall does sleep in the nude,_ Griever said, laughing into her mind.

_Damn you, Griever!_ Hermione screeched into her mind, trying to block him out of her personal thoughts. _I thought you could only hear my thoughts when I let you?_ Hermione asked him in exasperation.

_Correct, but you’re not exactly blocking them out,_ Griever countered in amusement.

Hermione sighed in frustration and tried to disregard him. She looked up as Irvine and Zell appeared at their table with a somewhat vexed Squall in tow. ‘Hey, ladies! Having fun?' Irvine asked, sitting down next to Selphie.

‘We are,’ Selphie answered, scooting over closer to Hermione in the hopes Irvine wouldn’t move over next to her, but her expectations were dashed, and he draped his arm around the back of her seat.

‘Excellent,’ Irvine replied, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Zell sat down next to Quistis while Squall pulled up another chair, so he was directly in front of Hermione. Hermione noticed he looked uncomfortable. The chatter between the companions was a bit awkward until they moved onto talking about the ‘Dream World' again, typically thanks to Selphie who brought the subject up again.

Hermione stretched out her legs, and her foot connected with something. Without thinking she moved her foot along it and looked up to find Squall gawking at her with wide eyes. Hermione reddened as she realised she had been caressing his leg! With that thought in mind, Hermione leaped up and grabbed Selphie up who was leaning into her uncomfortably because of the proximity of Irvine.

‘Where we going?’ Selphie asked her, though she looked thankful to have been rescued.

‘To dance,’ Hermione replied, not entirely sure why she wanted to, but she needed to get away from the obstinate tension between her and Squall.

‘Quistis!’ Selphie hollered to the other girl.

‘Coming!’ Quistis said, joining them on the floor.

The girls danced away, having fun and Hermione almost forgot the guys were there until Irvine and Zell joined them on the dance floor. Hermione rolled her eyes at Irvine's blatant attempts on Selphie, but if she was honest, the other girl actually looked like she was having fun dancing with Irvine, so she didn't say anything.

Hermione gazed over at Squall to see he was sitting alone at the table watching them, and although his face was impassive, she felt the impulse to go and get him to join in. Hermione strode over to him, ignoring the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the amassing crowd of patrons viewing Zell busting out all sorts of break dance moves on the dance floor.

When she reached him, Squall took a moment to look up at her. ‘Hey,’ Hermione greeted, grinning at him.

Squall gulped and looked away from her to Zell and then back to her again. ‘Uh… having fun?’ he asked, not really sure what to say to her.

‘Yeah, come on,’ Hermione expressed, reaching out and taking his hand.

Squall looked down at her hand in his with wide eyes. ‘Come on, where?’ he questioned, suddenly looking like a deer caught in the headlights of an advancing train.

‘To dance!’ Hermione exclaimed with a laugh, and before Squall could protest, she hauled him out onto the floor.

Squall watched dazedly as Hermione danced to the music, not entirely sure what to do. He wasn’t used to spontaneous dancing, and only did formal dances when he had to. Hermione took Squall’s hands and forced him to dance with her by moving his arms back and forth, and whirling herself underneath his arm.

‘See, you can have fun,’ Hermione whispered, beaming up at him.

For a moment, Squall paused and gazed at her, and then he wondered at what the hell he was doing. Squall dragged himself away from her, making the smile drop from Hermione’s face. ‘I’m out of here,’ Squall muttered, walking away hurriedly before she could try and stop him.

Hermione stomped after him, not really sure what was making her so angry. ‘Wait!’ she seethed, catching up to him as he reached the lift.

‘I’m going to bed,’ Squall imparted, pushing the button on the lift and stepping into it.

‘Why can’t you just act like a normal person for once? Why do you have to be so closed off to everyone? Would it kill you to smile for once and act your age?’ Hermione was declaring, unable to stop the tumble of questions she had been dying to ask him.

Squall snubbed her demands, but that didn't stop Hermione from ranting at him in the lift, and he marched away from her when they got onto his floor. Hermione trailed after him. ‘Answer me! Stop walking away!' Hermione barked at him.

Squall had had enough, and he spun on her, the anger plain on his face and Hermione actually took a step back. ‘Why does it bother you so much!?' Squall roared, exasperated with her questions. Hermione walked backwards until her back hit the wall, and Squall was unexpectedly in front of her. ‘Why do you need to know?' he beseeched, thumping his hand into the wall next to her head. Hermione flinched but she didn't move, and she realised his face was mere inches from hers.

Squall abruptly rested his forehead against hers, and Hermione scarcely breathed for fear he would walk away. ‘I just… want to be left alone,’ he hissed, closing his eyes. Hermione felt him reach up and his soft fingers caressed her neck, and she had to concentrate hard not to collapse as her knees turned to jelly. Squall leaned in, his body pressed fully into her, and Hermione almost fainted. She felt his hot breath on her ear. ‘I just need you to get out of my head,’ Squall breathed, and Hermione couldn’t help the tiny whimper that escaped.

Squall pulled back and took a few steps away from her. Squall growled under his breath and stormed off down the corridor. Hermione jumped when she heard his door slam shut.

Hermione stood in the hallway for some time wondering what the hell just transpired and thinking about what Squall said: _‘I just need you to get out of my head.’_

Hermione looked down the hallway to where Squall’s room was. _What did he mean by that?_

oOoOo

By the next morning, Hermione had convinced herself that Squall's actions were because he'd had a drink. She still didn't understand the significance of his words, but she resolved he had to be drunk. Although, Hermione hadn't smelled any alcohol on him at all.

The group met in the reception area, and Selphie ran over to Hermione. ‘Where did you go last night?' she questioned, and Hermione didn't miss the suggestive glimpses between herself and Squall.

‘I went to bed,' Hermione countered with a shrug. ‘I think everything just caught up to me, I felt like I was going to collapse,' she told her with a chuckle. ‘Squall was heading up to his room anyway, so he walked me to mine,' Hermione added, hoping the girl wouldn't get the wrong impression.

‘Oh, good! At least one of us was with you!’ Selphie said, breathing out a sigh of relief.

Hermione also felt reassured that Selphie hadn’t thought anything else happened. Not that anything did happen, but Hermione was still feeling weak-kneed at the thought of Squall being pressed up against her. Hermione shook those thoughts away fiercely before following Selphie out the main entrance to the street.

‘We’re heading to Caraway’s Mansion. The barmaid told me we can get the No. 8 bus from here to get there,’ Squall said, crossing his arms.

Hermione nodded, not making eye contact with him. Squall didn't seem to be behaving any differently, and she wondered if he even cared. Hermione chanced a glance at him to see his face was like stone as he stared at the road. Squall's expression gave absolutely no indication to what he was thinking at all. Hermione shook her head knowing it was for the best that they kept their relationship professional even though she secretly wished he could be like any other typical adolescent.

Hermione looked up as the bus they needed to get on stopped next to them. They moved towards the bus and took their seats. Hermione looked out the window viewing all the buildings speeding past them.

Squall, on the other hand, was reflecting on what happened the night before. He felt like an utter idiot and jerk all at once. Squall needed to get a hold of himself, and never allow that to happen again. He pushed his thoughts aggressively to the back of his mind and focused on the task at hand. Squall couldn't afford to be distracted when they had such a precarious mission.

The group got off the bus outside Caraway's Mansion, and Squall took in the gothic-style house with a raised eyebrow. _Caraway is the head of the Galbadian army... Could this be a coup d’état?_ Squall speculated fleetingly before dismissing the thought. _No... I don't think he's out to overthrow the president..._ he thought, thrusting his hands into his pockets as they ambled towards the gate.

A guard barred their path before they could reach for the gate. ‘General Caraway’s mansion is right through this gate, but... I can't just let you walk in,’ he told them ruefully, holding up his hand to stop them.

Squall frowned impatiently even though he knew it wasn't the guard's fault. ‘I believe he's been informed of our arrival,' Squall reasoned, wondering why this guard was delaying them.

Caraway’s Guard nodded fervently. ‘Yes indeed, but…’ he glanced at the mansion before turning back to them. ‘I was ordered not to let you through until your skills have been tested,’ he notified them.

‘What the hell's he talkin' about!?’ Zell yelled, thumping his fist into his hand.

‘Really now…’ Quistis expressed, shaking her head.

‘We’re SeeD’s, you know!’ Selphie revealed, stamping her foot in displeasure.

Squall ignored the indignant comments of his companions and glowered at the guard. ‘Test our skills? What does he want us to do?’ he grilled him, shrugging his shoulders.

Caraway’s Guard look almost appreciative that they weren’t about to attack him. Squall thought he appeared a bit skittish. ‘The Tomb of the Unknown King to the North-East,’ he expressed timidly, indicating back down the road where Squall presumed was the entrance to the town. ‘All you have to do is go there. It’s real simple, but…’ he trailed off again as Squall raised his eyebrows and a bead of sweat trickled down the guard’s temple. The guard cleared his throat. ‘You have to bring back proof that you were there. A code number,’ he clarified with a shrug.

Squall scowled. ‘A code number?’ he probed, crossing his arms.

Zell punched his hand in irritation making the guard recoil. ‘We came all the way out here for some stupid test of courage? Who does he think we are!?’ he bellowed, cracking his knuckles and the guard’s eyes widened a little in alarm.

‘Is this guy for real? He’s really going to make you all do a test?’ Hermione queried, shaking her head and leaning against the wall in frustration.

Caraway’s Guard nodded, giving them another contrite look. ‘There are many students like yourself who wish to call on General Caraway,’ he elucidated, shaking his head. ‘There was a student from Galbadia Garden yesterday, who has yet to return from the test at the Tomb of the Unknown King,' he told them with a sigh, and the group grasped it was probable the student had died in the ruins. ‘Your objective is to go to the Tomb of the Unknown King, look for traces of this lost student, and return with his ID number. You should be able to find what you're looking for shortly after you go in. The ID number should be written on it. I don't recommend going any further than you have to. You may never make it back alive,’ he explained to them, shaking his head again.

Squall nodded absently after a moment. ‘Is there anything else we should know about the Tomb? Obviously, something prevented the student from returning,' Squall said, hoping they wouldn't run into some kind of trouble.

‘There is a Guardian Force inside the Tomb of the Unknown King,’ Caraway’s Guard replied, crossing his arms. ‘If you feel confident enough, it may be worth the challenge,’ he alleged with a shrug.

‘Anything you can tell us about this Guardian Force?’ Zell asked, frowning at the guard. Hermione looked at them wondering what on earth a “Guardian Force” was.

‘The Guardian Force in the back of the cavern has a weakness. “Stay above ground”. Keep that in mind,’ the guard answered, nodding at Zell.

Squall looked towards the road, wondering how they would find their way out. Deling City was a vast place, and it was likely they would get lost. He preferred if they stayed as low-key as possible in case they were recognised. Doubtful, but one never knows.

‘Would you be able to escort us to the city entrance?’ Squall asked the guard, who looked a bit hesitant at the request.

The guard looked at the mansion for a moment, before turning back to Squall. ‘Alright, I’ll accompany you out,’ he decided, leading them away from the mansion. ‘Follow me,’ he told them, and the group followed him down the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, the first signs of fluff between Squall and Hermione. I’m trying so hard to keep Squall in character, but he may have been a bit OOC in this chapter. Sorry! I hope you all enjoyed it, please leave me a comment and some love if you did :D


	15. Chapter Fourteen: The Tomb of the Unknown King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.

_ **Chapter Fourteen: The Tomb of the Unknown King** _

__It didn't take the group long to find the ruins of the Tomb of the Unknown King at the end of Cotland Peninsula. Squall hired a car so the trip was quick and they avoided running into monsters in the field. Squall pulled up outside the ruins, and the group made their way inside.

Hermione looked around at the Tomb entrance which resembled that of an ancient courtyard. It was overgrown with mould and grass, and many crumbling structures occupied the area around the main entrance into the Tomb.

The group walked towards the entrance, moving out of the way as two female cadets ran from the door. ‘F-Float!' one of them screamed in terror.

‘Float?’ Hermione enquired in confusion, watching the girls leave the area hurriedly.

‘Didn’t that guard mention something about remaining above ground? Do you think they mean the para-magic Float?’ Quistis questioned, looking at Squall.

‘Perhaps,’ Squall replied with a shrug.

‘Wait, what’s “para-magic”?’ Hermione asked, stopping Squall from continuing into the Tomb.

‘Ordinary people like us can't use magic. It's not like Sorceresses who can use it at will. We implement the skill Para-Magic to cast spells,' Quistis elucidated but grasped from Hermione's stricken expression that she was not pleased at all with learning this.

Hermione took a step away from them. ‘So, you all judged me when you found out I could use magic, yet you can use a _form_ of magic yourselves? You treated me like I was something foul that you needed to get rid of, yet you…’ she trailed off, taking a deep breath and fighting back the impulse to curse the lot of them.

Squall closed his eyes at the look on her face. He had no comeback to what she said. It was true, they regarded her appallingly when they found out, but they learned how to use para-magic which itself was an ability acquired from the study of a Sorceress. ‘It's true, we can all use para-magic. It's taught to us in Balamb Garden. We can't use it at will though, but we can draw the energy from monsters and turn it back on them. It also makes our Guardian Force's stronger,' Squall clarified, shaking his head.

‘Why didn’t any of you tell me?’ Hermione whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes irritably.

‘We don't use it often, and it didn't come up in conversation,' Squall countered, crossing his arms. The look on her face pained him, but he felt Hermione was taking this a bit harder than she should have. It wasn't the same as her powers and wasn't obtained in the same way.

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded, trying to calm herself down. She just felt so criticised in the beginning only to learn they use magic as well, yet she is considered an abomination. Hermione looked at them all. ‘And what exactly is a “Guardian Force”? I’ve never heard of it before,’ Hermione asked, crossing her arms.

‘It’s an independent energy force which we combine with para-magic to control it. Sometimes they can be gained from ancient objects or through fighting them. You’ll see for yourself what it is when we go up against the one in here,’ Squall described, waving towards the entrance.

‘We’re going to fight it?’ Hermione questioned, observing the entrance with slight dread.

‘Yes, sometimes we have to combat them to get them to join forces with us. They are proud beings to be reckoned with,’ Squall explained, crossing his arms. ‘Be on your guard, and stay close,’ he warned, before leading them into the Tomb proper.

The group walked into the Tomb, stopping in the first corridor which was narrow. The stone walls were swathed in moss and mould, and Hermione cringed at the slimy water running along the edge of the path. Hermione went into her bag and took out the stones she made the weapons into. She placed them on the ground and pointed her wand at them. ‘Infinite Incantatem,' Hermione muttered, feeling uncomfortable at her use of magic around them. The stones transformed back into their weapons, and the companions appreciatively took them.

Quistis scrutinised her whip dejectedly. ‘Oh, I really should have got a new one in Deling City. This is going to be no use to me if we come up against any monsters,’ she whispered, regarding the charred and frayed remains of her whip. Most of it had turned to ash when Rinoa set it on fire.

‘Is Rinoa a Sorceress?’ Hermione enquired, comprehending Rinoa had been using magic apparently at will.

Squall frowned, he had speculated this himself. Eventually, he shook his head. ‘I don't think she is. Rinoa probably uses para-magic, but it’s possibly intensified by the Sorceress,’ Squall replied, crossing his arms.

‘Rinoa didn't seem to be drawing on any energy from us, and there were no monsters nearby,' Quistis said, tapping her chin reflectively.

Squall shrugged. ‘We’ll probably never know,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Let’s just get this over with so we can go back,’ Squall said, turning and leading the way further into the Tomb.

‘Quistis?’ Hermione called, making Quistis turn towards her. ‘Reparo,’ she muttered, pointing her wand at the ruined whip in Quistis’s hand.

Quistis looked at the whip as it repaired itself and was back to how it had been before it was destroyed. She looked at Hermione with renewed appreciation. ‘Thank you,’ she alleged, fastening her whip to her side.

Hermione grinned, thankful at least one person respected her for her abilities. ‘You’re welcome,’ she answered, falling into step beside the other girl who beamed at her.

It wasn’t long before they came across a weapon on the floor, and Squall knelt down next to it. ‘Looks like this belonged to the student,’ he muttered, picking up the sword and angling it to find some sort of indication of the previous owner. ‘Student ID No. 96,’ Squall murmured, looking around the area, but there was no sign of a body.

‘What do you think happened to him?’ Zell queried, taking the sword from Squall and examining it.

‘It could have been that,’ Squall countered, pointing down the corridor. The group followed his line of sight and discerned several blue bobs of what looked like slime progressing towards them sluggishly.

‘What are they?’ Hermione inquired, gripping her wand tighter.

‘Blobra,’ Irvine responded, taking out his shotgun. ‘They’re quite common in ruins and are resilient against physical attacks. They are vulnerable to magic attacks though,’ he said, eyeing Hermione coldly for a moment, and she could see he was still distrustful of her.

‘What type of magic?’ Hermione probed, fingering her wand as she watched them edge closer. She noted that only Irvine had actually drew his weapon, the others were just watching them as they came closer.

‘Elemental magic, but it varies. I say our best option is to each cast an elemental spell towards one of them to gauge which one it seems to be weak against. If it does damage or kills it, we’ll know,’ Irvine supposed, loading his shotgun absently.

Hermione frowned at him as he described this and pondered why he was loading his gun if it would prove impractical against these monsters. Hermione was about to say something about this, but one of the Blobra protracted its arm and lashed out at them. The group moved back just in time to evade being hit by it.

Squall, Quistis, and Zell shut their eyes, muttering under their breath and Hermione scrutinised this in interest as a green glow appeared at their feet. Hermione fixated on Squall who had his hand pressed to his temple, and when radiant green orbs started rotating around him, he opened his eyes and moved his hand out towards the looming Blobra’s. Hermione watched as a bolt of lightning struck one of the Blobra’s, electrocuting it. The Blobra let out a horrific screech before melting into the floor. Hermione grimaced, but she was also relatively captivated by their use of magic.

Quistis was prepared with her spell at the same time as Zell, and the two of them held their hands out. A block of ice materialised above one of the Blobra's, and it dropped onto it. The Blobra jiggled about like it was jelly for a moment, but it didn't seem affected. Quistis cursed under her breath and drew her whip. Zell's spell produced an explosion of fire to engulf one of the Blobra, and that one shrieked and melted like Squall's target had. There were still two more Blobra to face.

Hermione broke out of her fascination with how they used magic and pointed her wand at the one Quistis had tried to eradicate. ‘Incendio!' she cried, and a jet of flame burst from her wand, engulfing the Blobra. It screeched and dissolved away like the others.

By this point, Squall was ready with another spell, and another bolt of lightning hit the last Blobra, but this time it didn't work. ‘Shit,' he cursed, readying his gunblade just in case he needed it.

Selphie had also joined in, and cast another spell at it which was ice again this time, and the Blobra squealed, melting into the ground. Hermione put her wand away, reassured that the Blobra’s hadn’t got close enough to actually injure them, but she grasped it was tougher to fight them than she thought it would be. Hermione didn't have many elemental type spells in her own arsenal. She just hoped they wouldn't run into anything immune to magic while in the Tomb or she wouldn't be able to help at all.

‘Come on,’ Squall murmured, sheathing his gunblade.

The group followed him through the Catacomb, taking care to follow the directions the guard had given them about sticking to the right-hand routes. Every path looked the same as the last and Hermione was getting muddled trying to keep track of their bearings. Eventually, the group came to a room with a giant statue standing on a platform.

Hermione moved forward to read the inscription of the statue in homage to the Tomb’s Protector, but Squall took her arm gently, shaking his head. Hermione looked at him in misunderstanding until he nodded towards the statue. Hermione glanced over at it, realising it was moving marginally and her eyes enlarged in astonishment.

Squall unsheathed his gunblade, triggering the others to do the same. Hermione took out her wand and looked at Squall anxiously as he inched forward. ‘Guardian Force, I call on thee to help us!’ Squall decreed, getting ready to fight.

The statue's eyes snapped open, and he beheld them indignantly, growling as he gripped his huge morning star before jumping down off the platform. It ran towards them, swinging the morning star in a long swipe, and the group leaped out of the way to miss being mauled by the sharp spikes.

Hermione pointed her wand at it. ‘Incarcerous!' she yelled, making ropes appear around the being, but he snarled and snapped them as if they were nothing. ‘Is this one weak to an element?' She inquired, glancing over at Squall who was concentrating. Quistis, Selphie, and Zell had their hands pressed to his shoulders, and she frowned as a green aura surrounded Squall, but this time it was brighter than before. She could feel the power radiating from him.

Irvine was firing his gun at it, keeping it attentive on him. ‘No idea!’ he snapped, ducking the next blow and the morning star smashed into the wall, becoming wedged. The creature pulled at it, but at that moment Squall was prepared.

Quistis, Zell, and Selphie let go of Squall, and he opened his eyes which were glowing blue. Hermione gasped, shivering as the entire room became glacially cold. A dazzling light lit the area, and Hermione shielded her eyes. When she looked back at Squall, she was astonished to see he had vanished and in his place was a blue-skinned woman with hair which was gold, blue, and green. Icicles protruded from her hips, elbows and behind her knees. She was barefoot, and her hands, feet, hips, and intimate areas were covered in dark blue patterns. Her face was human-like, and she had sharp elf-like ears.

‘What?’ Hermione whispered, backing away from her in alarm.

The being turned to look at the newcomer, his eyes widening in recognition. The blue-skinned woman gazed at him for a moment, nodding subtly before pulling her arms back behind her head, gathering magic. Hermione watched in awe as the woman focused this magic on the creature, causing ice to appear throughout the room. The blue-skinned woman grinned, and the ice fractured and shattered, the shards cutting into the beast.

The creature roared in agony as the woman disappeared in another bright light. When Hermione looked back, Squall was in her place, but he was breathing heavily. Quistis, Zell, and Selphie dashed at the creature and assaulted it, while Irvine continued his unrelenting assault from afar.

Hermione hurried over to Squall, but he shook his head. ‘I’m fine,’ he slurred, getting to his feet and rushing in with his gunblade.

Hermione shook her head, marvelling at what the hell just happened, but decided she would question it later. She shot spells at the creature, but nothing appeared to cause much effect. Eventually, the creature growled and ran from the room.

Squall sheathed his gunblade, cursing under his breath. The others followed his example, and they sprinted from the room in pursuit. Hermione was stunned for a moment, before running after them.

They followed the trail around, keeping to the right and eventually came upon another room where a chain held a stone Watergate in place, preventing water from flowing into the middle of the room. ‘Dammit, where did it go?’ Squall said, placing a hand on his hip.

‘Maybe it has something to do with the Tomb itself. I heard there's a drawbridge in the centre which needs to be dropped before you can get to it,' Zell told them, making all eyes turn to him. ‘What? I like reading about old ruins…' he trailed off, looking away from them to the chain holding the stone block in place.

‘Alright, Zell, any ideas?’ Squall probed, crossing his arms.

Zell moved further into the room and studied the chain. After a moment, he clutched the chain and unlocked it. A grinding sound reverberated throughout the room as the stone Watergate sank into the floor, and water came rushing in, draining through the gaps in the floor.

‘So, what now?’ Hermione asked, moving away from drain which was spraying water at them as it hit the sides.

‘We need to find the device for lowering the bridge,’ Zell supposed, leading the way out of the room. They followed him around the Tomb, coming across a stone slab which had depressed into the ground.

In the next room, they found a Water Wheel which was jammed in place. It was trying to move with the stream of water, but something was hindering it. ‘Zell?’ Quistis said, raising her eyebrows at him.

Zell looked around the room, moving over to where the mechanism on the wall was. He tilted his head for a moment, before touching a large bolt which was keeping the apparatus from moving. It was corroded to hell, apparently having not been used probably in decades. Zell clutched it, managing to get a good grip on it, before tugging on it. It was stuck fast. He tried again, putting more strength into it, and eventually, the bolt came loose, and he breathed heavily from the strain. He placed it on the floor as the Water Wheel started to rotate with the water. In the distance, they heard a thunderous echo of something moving.

‘That would have been the drawbridge,' Zell told them and led them back out.

They followed the Tomb around and took a left instead towards the middle of the ruin. Zell was correct; a drawbridge now permitted them access to the central chamber. Hermione shivered, feeling the static of strong magic in the air. ‘This place has remnants of powerful magic,’ she whispered, touching the stone wall.

‘How do you know?’ Squall asked her, frowning and crossing his arms.

‘I can sense it,’ Hermione whispered, shaking her head.

‘We’ll need to be cautious. We don’t know what we’ll find here,’ Squall told them, receiving nods from everyone.

The group walked across the timeworn drawbridge, taking care not to catch themselves on any holes which had appeared over the years. When they reached the Burial Chamber, they found the creature they battled earlier, standing on the coffin of Dollet’s former Emperor. It snarled irately as they came into the Crypt, baring its sharp teeth.

It roared furiously, and white light filled the room. After it receded, the companions looked back at the creature only to find another, much smaller one, standing next to it. Squall unsheathed his gunblade, and the others followed suit, getting their own ready. ‘The Brothers,' Squall whispered, his lips twitching faintly. ‘Earth Element,' he told them, receiving nods. ‘It won't be an easy fight,' he assumed, taking a deep breath and darting forward to attack.

Squall's movement jolted everyone else into action, and the companions entered a ferocious fight with the two creatures. As they dodged the swinging morning stars the creatures were wielding, Zell managed to duck underneath the larger one and punched him in the tender area. It roared in pain, trying to stomp on Zell, but he was too quick.

Zell cursed as the earth cured it. ‘Does anyone know Float!?’ Zell shouted, evading the massive foot again to avoid becoming a pancake.

‘I do!’ Selphie yelled back, dodging the smaller creature as it swung at her. ‘Cover me!’ she said, moving to the back of the room while the others diverted the two creatures away from her.

Hermione pointed her wand at the larger creature. ‘Wingardium Leviosa!’ she shouted, making the creature levitate off the ground. ‘Selphie, cast your spell at the smaller one!’ she cried to the younger girl, receiving a small nod.

When Selphie was ready, she cast Float on the smaller creature, and it hovered off the ground, howling angrily as its earth cure no longer had any effect.

The companions went on the offensive while doing everything to try and circumvent being skewered. After an arduous few minutes of combined attacks, the larger of the two yielded. Hermione countered her spell, making the creature fall to the ground with a thump. Hermione turned on the other one. ‘Flipendo!' she bellowed, causing the smaller creature flip back into the wall. It fell to the ground, defeated.

Squall lowered his gunblade and eased forward guardedly. ‘I entreat thee, Brothers, to aid us,' he commanded, holding out his hand and closing his eyes. An invisible wind seemed to envelop him before the two faded into nothing. Squall fell to his knees, looking as though he was having an internal battle with himself.

After a few moments, a voice echoed throughout the room, ‘We will aid thee,' it said.

Squall took a deep breath, and staggered to his feet, sheathing his gunblade. ‘It is done,’ he breathed, his lips twitching.

Hermione moved over to him, putting her wand away. She took in his weary expression, sweat beading on his brow. ‘Are you okay?' she asked, touching his arm gently.

Squall nodded, looking at her. ‘I’ll be fine,’ he answered, giving her a small smile. Hermione grinned back, a small blush appearing on her cheeks. Squall turned to the others who were gathering themselves after the battle. ‘Let’s get back,’ he told them, receiving nods.

Everyone left the room, talking amongst themselves, but Hermione held back and looked at the coffin for a moment. Squall stopped at the door and looked back at her with a frown. Hermione turned and gazed at him, and the intensity of it knocked the wind out of him. Squall swallowed hard, appreciating she was wary of him now, undoubtedly questioning what he desired from her. He knew he should probably just treat her like any other client, but he also found he really didn’t want to.

Squall reached out his hand, watching her glance down at it in uncertainty for a moment. After a second, Hermione’s lips split into a beaming smile, and she took his hand, letting him lead her from the Tomb.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I struggled with the fight scene with the Brothers, but I hope it was okay. I had a little bit of writer's block with it… Anyway, let me know what your thoughts on it!


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